What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wrong Impression
Getting roped into writing essays for his former High School bully is the last thing Ben Garrett anticipated doing at college. Corey Donovan is an arrogant, privileged jock. And to make matters worse, he's hot as hell To Ben's surprise however Corey wants to be friends...and possibly more? Corey's killer smile and charismatic seduction is impossible to resist. Did Ben get it wrong about Corey? After all, people change, don't they? But their night of passion comes at a high price. Corey is nowhere to be found and Ben might just have landed himself in a whole lot of trouble with Corey's homophobic frat brother, Teddy Hayman. Was Ben's wrong impression the right one all along?
66 pages, ebook
First published June 8, 2012
25 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 12, 2012
No, no and NO! This story was... damn, I'm sorry but I have to say this, it was awful! After reading the first half I thought I would end up disliking only one MC. God, was I wrong! When I got to the ending I hated them both! Insensitive jerks!
Definitely not a book I would recommend, sorry.
Definitely not a book I would recommend, sorry.
June 9, 2012
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
One of my favorite subgenres is the enemies to lovers theme. This short story is told in first person from the POV of Ben Garrett. Ben is an English major in college. Having survived the perils and bullying of high school, he wants nothing more than to be accepted or at least left alone. He has a best friend, Max, who is adorable yet needy in his own way. When Max drags Ben to Donovan Hall, it turns out to meet the new wunderkind of the football team, who Max has already promised the frat guys Ben will do the new guy’s English papers in trade for cash (for some reason, Max desperately wants to get into the frat that could care less about him). Unfortunately, the new guy is Corey Donovan, one of the frontrunners in making Ben’s life miserable, bullying and abusing. Max put him on the spot, and he accepted.
They run into each other (in a bathroom while Corey is naked, for one) and they don’t get to know each other. Unfortunately, Corey is an ass and remains an ass throughout nearly everything. He claims to be different, yet we don’t see it. And to make it worse, Ben is the classic victim, feeling ashamed for the way he reacting to Corey. What! When Corey is three hours late for a paper session, he acts like an arrogant jerk, is rude and Ben apologizes.
Corey really is so unlikeable that by the end I wanted Ben to be with anyone rather than him. His big moment with Teddy was way too little in my opinion, and his blaming hurting people on being his way of coming out didn’t endear him to me one bit. Had he acted differently in the first place, the whole Teddy thing wouldn’t have occurred. I so wanted to like this one, but Ben has no self respect and Corey is a jerk.
One of my favorite subgenres is the enemies to lovers theme. This short story is told in first person from the POV of Ben Garrett. Ben is an English major in college. Having survived the perils and bullying of high school, he wants nothing more than to be accepted or at least left alone. He has a best friend, Max, who is adorable yet needy in his own way. When Max drags Ben to Donovan Hall, it turns out to meet the new wunderkind of the football team, who Max has already promised the frat guys Ben will do the new guy’s English papers in trade for cash (for some reason, Max desperately wants to get into the frat that could care less about him). Unfortunately, the new guy is Corey Donovan, one of the frontrunners in making Ben’s life miserable, bullying and abusing. Max put him on the spot, and he accepted.
They run into each other (in a bathroom while Corey is naked, for one) and they don’t get to know each other. Unfortunately, Corey is an ass and remains an ass throughout nearly everything. He claims to be different, yet we don’t see it. And to make it worse, Ben is the classic victim, feeling ashamed for the way he reacting to Corey. What! When Corey is three hours late for a paper session, he acts like an arrogant jerk, is rude and Ben apologizes.
Corey really is so unlikeable that by the end I wanted Ben to be with anyone rather than him. His big moment with Teddy was way too little in my opinion, and his blaming hurting people on being his way of coming out didn’t endear him to me one bit. Had he acted differently in the first place, the whole Teddy thing wouldn’t have occurred. I so wanted to like this one, but Ben has no self respect and Corey is a jerk.
June 7, 2012
The story is to short with an unsatisfying ending. In general it was a sweet, coming out, story for footballer Corey. We can't really talk about a romance here, but it's definitely a start into right direction. I wouldn't mind reading more about Corey and Ben in the future.
June 9, 2012
3 Hearts
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Ben is unhappy when he is roped into doing Corey’s college work, because Corey made his life a living hell in high school. But, now Corey claims to be sorry for how he treated Ben, in the past. But, after a night together, Ben is sure he was right about Corey being an asshole in the first place. Can both Ben and Corey find a way forward? Can Corey admit the truth to himself? And can Ben forgive Corey for his actions?
This is a pretty ugly enemy to lovers to enemies to friends’ story. It gives it to you in the bare truth without a pretty ribbon and it leaves you wondering if Ben actually has any sense at all. Ben is pressured by his best friend to help out the newest jock. He’s not happy about it and is furious when he finds out which jock it is. But, he grits his teeth and accepts it or tries to. After a night of passion with Corey, he accepts that he had the man all wrong, but the next time they see each other Corey makes a nasty accusation. Corey is confused and torn apart about how he is acting, but he has an image to uphold and the realization that he could be gay shakes his very foundations.
Okay. So, being honest, I didn’t like Corey at all and found it very hard to believe that Ben would sleep with him given everything that Corey had done to him in the past. Yes, I know people change, but Corey’s actions showed that even though he said the right things, his actions proved to be much louder than the words. Ben admits to himself that he is attracted to Corey, even though his behavior disgusts him. But, even he falls under Corey’s spell. So Corey might be scared that people will discover who he really is, but in my eyes that doesn’t excuse his actions. It sickened me to read what he said about Ben and Ben sickened me later just by accepting Corey’s apology yet again. And, you really don’t want to know what I think about a best-friend who would pressure a friend into doing something they didn’t want to do, just so that they could get in good with the jocks.
So, if this story left me feeling like this then why the 3 Hearts? because it’s a good storyline and plot, because there are real situations and relationships in the real world that started out just like this, that there are boys/men who are so confused about their sexuality that they have treated other people like this, and maybe regretted it for the rest of their lives, that there are boys/men who have been treated badly but have forgiven their tormentors and even found love with them. Who am I to judge who they should forgive? Who am I to judge their actions? Just because I didn’t like the by-play doesn’t mean you won’t like it.
So, if you like enemies to lovers, a maybe relationship, peer pressure, standing up for yourself, doing the right thing and a blossoming of something new, then this is the book for you.
First published at MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
Ben is unhappy when he is roped into doing Corey’s college work, because Corey made his life a living hell in high school. But, now Corey claims to be sorry for how he treated Ben, in the past. But, after a night together, Ben is sure he was right about Corey being an asshole in the first place. Can both Ben and Corey find a way forward? Can Corey admit the truth to himself? And can Ben forgive Corey for his actions?
This is a pretty ugly enemy to lovers to enemies to friends’ story. It gives it to you in the bare truth without a pretty ribbon and it leaves you wondering if Ben actually has any sense at all. Ben is pressured by his best friend to help out the newest jock. He’s not happy about it and is furious when he finds out which jock it is. But, he grits his teeth and accepts it or tries to. After a night of passion with Corey, he accepts that he had the man all wrong, but the next time they see each other Corey makes a nasty accusation. Corey is confused and torn apart about how he is acting, but he has an image to uphold and the realization that he could be gay shakes his very foundations.
Okay. So, being honest, I didn’t like Corey at all and found it very hard to believe that Ben would sleep with him given everything that Corey had done to him in the past. Yes, I know people change, but Corey’s actions showed that even though he said the right things, his actions proved to be much louder than the words. Ben admits to himself that he is attracted to Corey, even though his behavior disgusts him. But, even he falls under Corey’s spell. So Corey might be scared that people will discover who he really is, but in my eyes that doesn’t excuse his actions. It sickened me to read what he said about Ben and Ben sickened me later just by accepting Corey’s apology yet again. And, you really don’t want to know what I think about a best-friend who would pressure a friend into doing something they didn’t want to do, just so that they could get in good with the jocks.
So, if this story left me feeling like this then why the 3 Hearts? because it’s a good storyline and plot, because there are real situations and relationships in the real world that started out just like this, that there are boys/men who are so confused about their sexuality that they have treated other people like this, and maybe regretted it for the rest of their lives, that there are boys/men who have been treated badly but have forgiven their tormentors and even found love with them. Who am I to judge who they should forgive? Who am I to judge their actions? Just because I didn’t like the by-play doesn’t mean you won’t like it.
So, if you like enemies to lovers, a maybe relationship, peer pressure, standing up for yourself, doing the right thing and a blossoming of something new, then this is the book for you.
July 20, 2012
First impressions often morph into perceptions, and pretty soon they are well on their way to becoming facts. What happens when those first impressions are wrong? The whole chain of events can become a catastrophe. In this story, the entire issue is based on a misconception in high school, one that goes on to cause real trouble when the two men meet again in college, prejudice and ‘facts’ about the other firmly in place.
Ben has been out since high school, and he has suffered for it. He stands up for himself, but when he meets his nemesis, jock Corey again in college he loses it. All the pent-up anger bubbles to the surface, and he makes a couple of mistakes that might just get him suspended. And cost him any chance with Corey he might have had.
Corey seems to be the one in the wrong here. Having tortured Ben in high school and not treating him much better now, didn’t exactly endear him to me. But, as soon as he open up and it becomes clear what has been going on, the picture changes. Even Ben’s actions appear in a different light.
If you like stories about misunderstandings finally being clarified, if you’re curious about a situation where the psychology of coming out versus staying in the closet plays a huge part in two men’s relationship, and if you like reading about ‘geeks and jocks’, you will probably like this story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Silver Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Ben has been out since high school, and he has suffered for it. He stands up for himself, but when he meets his nemesis, jock Corey again in college he loses it. All the pent-up anger bubbles to the surface, and he makes a couple of mistakes that might just get him suspended. And cost him any chance with Corey he might have had.
Corey seems to be the one in the wrong here. Having tortured Ben in high school and not treating him much better now, didn’t exactly endear him to me. But, as soon as he open up and it becomes clear what has been going on, the picture changes. Even Ben’s actions appear in a different light.
If you like stories about misunderstandings finally being clarified, if you’re curious about a situation where the psychology of coming out versus staying in the closet plays a huge part in two men’s relationship, and if you like reading about ‘geeks and jocks’, you will probably like this story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Silver Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
August 30, 2012
This was a great story of overcoming your past to find a the possibility of a new future. This was an interesting take on coming out.
December 28, 2018
Just wondered what exactly did the jock see in the nerd? Maybe a longer story would have worked. This one is far too short for the complex issues mentioned.
August 20, 2012
The set-up looks like it ought to be good for an enemies-to-lovers story, and it probably would, with different handling. Unfortunately, the one shred of decent behavior in this entire book doesn’t kick the co-existence level anywhere that high.
From the opening scene where Max manipulates his buddy Ben into writing the newly transferred jock Corey’s essays (for a fee, of course) so that he can get into a social group that would otherwise reject him, the ethically questionable behaviors come hard and fast. While each action individually is somewhat understandable, given the pressures to fit in and make friends, the aggregate is a peek into a cesspool.
So what if Corey’s hot? That lasts until he opens his mouth, and Ben has two years of physical assaults and bullying at Corey’s hands to temper his physical reaction, not that it helps. Perhaps a college age man is more led by his cock than most, but the sight of Corey’s body during a condom run in an interlude with a slutty cheerleader (author’s term) is enough to turn Ben’s larger head off in spite of the horrible history between them.
The blurb promises friendship on Corey’s side, but that isn’t the case. More using/self-centered behavior is closer to the mark, and all Ben’s ruminations with his friends don’t let him see that. The dirtbag behavior hasn’t escalated to manhandling, but Corey isn’t treating Ben decently this time around either, and his apology for the past didn’t even begin to acknowledge the depth of his offenses, though it might have been adequate for accidentally stepping on toes. Charismatic seduction? Don’t think so: this is crude come-on.
So why is Ben hoping for more, a lot more? When he gets it plus some more ill-treatment, he retaliates with the only weapon he has, which lets him meet face-to-fist with Corey’s team- mate Teddy the homophobe. What follows is the only moment of decent behavior in this entire tale.
It’s a mess of a story when the only character who has convictions of any strength is the bad guy of the piece, in this case, Teddy. He’s a homophobic horror, but he’s consistent. Max is out for himself, Ben is delusional, a doormat, and intellectually dishonest. Corey depends on getting away with anything short of murder because he’s a jock and model-handsome to boot, and the world (including Ben) isn’t even trying to convince him it might not always work that way. I hated every single one of these characters and everything they did by halfway in, to a degree that was unrecoverable.
The ending had some reassurance that these were supposed to be thinking beings rather than cardboard cut-outs with no moral compasses, but it was much too little, far too late. Very likely each and every one of the behaviors outlined here has happened on campuses everywhere, but the display en mass is a cautionary tale of the bad behavior of humans, not romantic. The revelations are supposed to make up for everything but I’m not convinced. 1.5
From the opening scene where Max manipulates his buddy Ben into writing the newly transferred jock Corey’s essays (for a fee, of course) so that he can get into a social group that would otherwise reject him, the ethically questionable behaviors come hard and fast. While each action individually is somewhat understandable, given the pressures to fit in and make friends, the aggregate is a peek into a cesspool.
So what if Corey’s hot? That lasts until he opens his mouth, and Ben has two years of physical assaults and bullying at Corey’s hands to temper his physical reaction, not that it helps. Perhaps a college age man is more led by his cock than most, but the sight of Corey’s body during a condom run in an interlude with a slutty cheerleader (author’s term) is enough to turn Ben’s larger head off in spite of the horrible history between them.
The blurb promises friendship on Corey’s side, but that isn’t the case. More using/self-centered behavior is closer to the mark, and all Ben’s ruminations with his friends don’t let him see that. The dirtbag behavior hasn’t escalated to manhandling, but Corey isn’t treating Ben decently this time around either, and his apology for the past didn’t even begin to acknowledge the depth of his offenses, though it might have been adequate for accidentally stepping on toes. Charismatic seduction? Don’t think so: this is crude come-on.
So why is Ben hoping for more, a lot more? When he gets it plus some more ill-treatment, he retaliates with the only weapon he has, which lets him meet face-to-fist with Corey’s team- mate Teddy the homophobe. What follows is the only moment of decent behavior in this entire tale.
It’s a mess of a story when the only character who has convictions of any strength is the bad guy of the piece, in this case, Teddy. He’s a homophobic horror, but he’s consistent. Max is out for himself, Ben is delusional, a doormat, and intellectually dishonest. Corey depends on getting away with anything short of murder because he’s a jock and model-handsome to boot, and the world (including Ben) isn’t even trying to convince him it might not always work that way. I hated every single one of these characters and everything they did by halfway in, to a degree that was unrecoverable.
The ending had some reassurance that these were supposed to be thinking beings rather than cardboard cut-outs with no moral compasses, but it was much too little, far too late. Very likely each and every one of the behaviors outlined here has happened on campuses everywhere, but the display en mass is a cautionary tale of the bad behavior of humans, not romantic. The revelations are supposed to make up for everything but I’m not convinced. 1.5
July 11, 2012
I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but in this case it wasn't as believable as it could have been. I'll grant that the shortness of the story probably contribute to the lack of believability, but still. Not quite believable.
May 8, 2015
You take a Geek and the Jock who bullied him in High School, force them together in college, add a few bottles of beer and watch the aftermath.
It's a short story of 2 college boys beginning to understand their feelings for each other. Not a romance, just impulsive actions and the consequenses.
It's a short story of 2 college boys beginning to understand their feelings for each other. Not a romance, just impulsive actions and the consequenses.
no-thanks
September 1, 2012Reviews from friends with similar taste made me think this one is not for me.
July 16, 2012
James, will there be a sequel to this book? I hope so :)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews