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Making Ends Meet
Zach is just seventeen years old, but despite his youth, he has more than his fair share of responsibility. An experimental fling in high school has led him down the path of single fatherhood. Now, he holds down a job, takes his college classes online, and pays his own bills as best he can—all while juggling daycare and chores and play-dates for his four-month-old, Mae. It's a rough, 24/7 life, but to Zach, Mae is worth every penny spent and every minute of his day.
With no free time to speak of, it feels like a miracle when Zach meets Wil in the check-out line at his work. Handsome, grounded, from the proverbial "right side of the tracks", and—even better—good with kids, Wil is everything he could want in a boyfriend. But as interested as Wil is in Zach, he has his own life, his own family, his own job and college career to think about. All the various draws on their time means that it's hard just to find chances to be together. But Zach's no stranger to hard tasks, and believes he owes it to himself to try.
Includes 12 black-and-white illustrations by Diana Callinger!
With no free time to speak of, it feels like a miracle when Zach meets Wil in the check-out line at his work. Handsome, grounded, from the proverbial "right side of the tracks", and—even better—good with kids, Wil is everything he could want in a boyfriend. But as interested as Wil is in Zach, he has his own life, his own family, his own job and college career to think about. All the various draws on their time means that it's hard just to find chances to be together. But Zach's no stranger to hard tasks, and believes he owes it to himself to try.
Includes 12 black-and-white illustrations by Diana Callinger!
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2012
4 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Armstrong
56 books132 followersSupport S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet on Patreon!
S.L. Armstrong has been writing for as long as she can remember. Art and reading have played a large part in her life since young childhood, but around fourteen, writing became her passion. Voraciously consuming every book in front of her opened up hundreds of worlds in her head, and she soon wanted to create worlds for other people as well. She has a particular fondness for gothic horror, horror, high fantasy, urban fantasy, and romance novels. The authors she turns to time and again are Stephen King, L.J. Smith, V.C. Andrews, R.L. Stine, and Anne Rice, among others. She has no shame in picking up the young adult novels she loved as a child, and she will talk your ear off about grammar and punctuation.
After she married her husband over seventeen years ago, she began to truly delve into the world of writing for public consumption. It was sheer chance that she stumbled on M/M fanfiction, and she's not looked back. Though fanfiction will always have a fond place in her heart, she soon grew tired of playing in other people's sandboxes. When she discovered M/M romance, and how it was now a legitimate branch of romance writing, she knew her course. S.L. plans to release F/F, M/M, M/F, and multiple partner books as she continues her writing career. M/M romance is where her heart lies, no matter what else she may write or read, and it's where she keeps returning to. There is something about two men passionately in love that just makes her heart melt, and she has no intention of giving that up anytime soon.
S.L. Armstrong lives in Florida with her husband, partner, two dogs, and twelve cats. She hates the heat and longs for a northern, snowy climate. She writes with K. Piet on a number of projects, but she also writes her own solitary titles as well.
S.L. Armstrong has been writing for as long as she can remember. Art and reading have played a large part in her life since young childhood, but around fourteen, writing became her passion. Voraciously consuming every book in front of her opened up hundreds of worlds in her head, and she soon wanted to create worlds for other people as well. She has a particular fondness for gothic horror, horror, high fantasy, urban fantasy, and romance novels. The authors she turns to time and again are Stephen King, L.J. Smith, V.C. Andrews, R.L. Stine, and Anne Rice, among others. She has no shame in picking up the young adult novels she loved as a child, and she will talk your ear off about grammar and punctuation.
After she married her husband over seventeen years ago, she began to truly delve into the world of writing for public consumption. It was sheer chance that she stumbled on M/M fanfiction, and she's not looked back. Though fanfiction will always have a fond place in her heart, she soon grew tired of playing in other people's sandboxes. When she discovered M/M romance, and how it was now a legitimate branch of romance writing, she knew her course. S.L. plans to release F/F, M/M, M/F, and multiple partner books as she continues her writing career. M/M romance is where her heart lies, no matter what else she may write or read, and it's where she keeps returning to. There is something about two men passionately in love that just makes her heart melt, and she has no intention of giving that up anytime soon.
S.L. Armstrong lives in Florida with her husband, partner, two dogs, and twelve cats. She hates the heat and longs for a northern, snowy climate. She writes with K. Piet on a number of projects, but she also writes her own solitary titles as well.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 28, 2012
One of the main reasons for divorce in the US is economic issue. I noticed that this rarely becomes an issue in m/m romance, as most stories either put cheating or bigotry as the main issues. As more and more gay people be and live together, economic issue will also become important in their relationships.
That's why I was happy to read the blurb. When I read the book, it didn't disappoint.
This book's plot is very simple. Boy (with a 5-month daughter) meets another boy. One is a lower middle class kid who struggles to make ends meet, the other is a rich kid. They fall in love. But, being in school, work, and single parent, it's like juggle. They face challenges, mostly economic issues, and at one point explodes. Would their love be enough?
The book moves quite slowly, and not until around 75% do a conflict emerges. At times the book deals really with mundane day-to-day things, so those who expect to see 'actions' should find somewhere else. But it does portray the difficulty of being a single parent at young age (when the book starts, the MC was only 17 yo).
While often sweet, at one point the angst level suddenly jumped, but thankfully, not for long.
Oh, it has like a dozen nice illustrations.
That's why I was happy to read the blurb. When I read the book, it didn't disappoint.
This book's plot is very simple. Boy (with a 5-month daughter) meets another boy. One is a lower middle class kid who struggles to make ends meet, the other is a rich kid. They fall in love. But, being in school, work, and single parent, it's like juggle. They face challenges, mostly economic issues, and at one point explodes. Would their love be enough?
The book moves quite slowly, and not until around 75% do a conflict emerges. At times the book deals really with mundane day-to-day things, so those who expect to see 'actions' should find somewhere else. But it does portray the difficulty of being a single parent at young age (when the book starts, the MC was only 17 yo).
While often sweet, at one point the angst level suddenly jumped, but thankfully, not for long.
Oh, it has like a dozen nice illustrations.
October 29, 2012
I won this story in a giveaway, just for the record, and I'm very glad I chose it! Downloaded it to my phone & couldn't resist starting it, even though it was already past my bedtime. It was easy to start and get into, but I want to re-read on my actual eReader, because there are illustrations (which look charming, I think, but it's hard to tell on my phone which tends to chop pictures/covers up in some odd ways.)
So, one of the reasons I chose this book is that I have a HUGE soft spot for Guys With Kids. I have kids, and I know what a struggle it can be to juggle everything, especially when you're trying to do it all on your own. So it's good to see someone in the midst of that struggle finding the strength within himself to keep going, no matter how hard it is, to learn when to ask for help (and who to ask), and to finally meet someone with the strength and capacity to love not only Daddy but Baby as well.
Baby, in this case, is Mae -- a three-month-old sweetie who was a complete drunken accident, but one Zach stepped up to the plate for. He didn't want to be the kind of teen "parent" who acts more like a big brother while letting his own parents raise the baby, so he does the whole moving-out-getting-a-job Go It Alone route. I can understand and even sympathise with him, but honestly, I have a hard time believing that, even if he had decided to stay at his parents' house, he would have allowed himself to be anything less than an excellent dad. I think there could have been some middle ground in there somewhere (although I can also see that it would have made eventually meeting and dating Wil much more awkward).
Wil, frankly, was the character I had the hardest time getting my head around. He comes from an extremely wealthy family, and was an "Oops!Baby" -- Mom went in to labor the day before his oldest sibling's graduation from college. His parents are paying for a certain amount of his college, but he seems to be taking a certain amount of responsibility for himself, with a job and a partial scholarship. At the same time, he seems to have a LOT of spending money relative to his job, which kind of begs the question why he needs the job in the first place, other than as a sort of set-up for the Big Misunderstanding necessary to separate our heroes so they can then make up & make it all better. (Honestly, I'm not knocking it. I love "real" issues in my stories. And this is a good one. Just some of the handling feels very Average Income, while some of it has a *VERY* Well-To-Do vibe. And it confuses me a bit.)
Anyway, they do the "Meet the parents" bit and Zach's mom and dad are wonderful, warm, welcoming parents. They had some issues at first with Mae's existence and Zach's insistence on doing things for himself, but seem to have fallen in love with their granddaughter and to have accepted Zach's need to try to stand on his own two feet, no matter how hard it is. I really loved that they set aside their own misgivings to support him so strongly, and even though when he needed help, Zach went to his mom for it, I never felt like either of them was trying to go behind his dad's back for anything.
Wil's family, on the other hand... I liked his sisters a lot. I hold out hope that, even after his estrangement from his parents, they can become close. Both of them were enthusiastic huggers, welcoming to Zach and Mae, and Jessica was pregnant, so that baby would be close in age to Mae -- built in playmate, if the two families can become close. And I wanted to like Dad -- he invited Zach to the family's New Year's celebration, and seemed open to Wil's being gay, whereas Mom judged Zach harshly for being a young father on a severely limited income, and was unwilling to accept that, no, the right girl isn't magically going to make her son straight. I get that she's older and privileged and all, but those things do not automatically make her less-likable traits ok for a person to have. And my opinion of Dad went down many notches when he caved to Mom and made the ultimatum to Wil -- quit seeing Zach or we withdraw all financial support.
I think one of the biggest things that made it hard for me to see Zach as quite ready for a real, grown-up relationship is how much trouble he had just talking to Wil, up front, about...well, really, anything. They never really discuss how uncomfortable Zach is about how much money Wil spends on him & Mae. They don't really talk about their relationship. Zach breaks up with Wil so that he won't lose the financial support of his parents without really talking to Wil about it at all. Every time they DO talk about anything, it's only after Zach's already had either his mom or his friend Stephanie (an awesome single mom of a toddler) have pretty much sat him down and told him "You're being ridiculous and kind of an idiot. You have to TALK to him. If the two of you are in a relationship, you BOTH have to be in the relationship; that means you both have input, but you also have to actually share that input with each other!" I know Zach had virtually NO experience with any sort of relationship prior to meeting Wil, but Wil certainly had experience, and I kind of wish that he'd been the one to sit Zach down and say those things to him. (Yeah, I know. Zach probably took it better from Stephanie and his mom. Not just the age, but the inexperience, can make certain types of advice easier to take from a friend than from the person you're having trouble communicating with. And there were a few places where Wil gave Zach some good advice -- like about accepting some financial help from his parents.)
Aside from the families, there was a fairly awesome supporting cast -- Stephanie, single mom of two-year-old Sophia, who made me think so much of my own daughter when she was that age; and the three coworker friends of Zach's who made up a study group that met at his apartment regularly. They weren't studying the same things, and weren't even all going to the same school, but they seemed to get a lot out of mutually supporting each other through the trials of homework. And they really helped when Zach ended up behind on his school work because of Mae's continuing issues with ear infections (I am SO GLAD I managed to avoid that with my kids). Mae was extremely well-written, also; not just a Plot Moppet, she had real baby problems, and cause real parent problems for Zach and Wil -- 3 a.m. wakings, food everywhere, missed work and school due to illness, struggle to pay healthcare bills... kudos on that!
Overall, a sweet, engaging story with believable characters and a satisfactory ending!
So, one of the reasons I chose this book is that I have a HUGE soft spot for Guys With Kids. I have kids, and I know what a struggle it can be to juggle everything, especially when you're trying to do it all on your own. So it's good to see someone in the midst of that struggle finding the strength within himself to keep going, no matter how hard it is, to learn when to ask for help (and who to ask), and to finally meet someone with the strength and capacity to love not only Daddy but Baby as well.
Baby, in this case, is Mae -- a three-month-old sweetie who was a complete drunken accident, but one Zach stepped up to the plate for. He didn't want to be the kind of teen "parent" who acts more like a big brother while letting his own parents raise the baby, so he does the whole moving-out-getting-a-job Go It Alone route. I can understand and even sympathise with him, but honestly, I have a hard time believing that, even if he had decided to stay at his parents' house, he would have allowed himself to be anything less than an excellent dad. I think there could have been some middle ground in there somewhere (although I can also see that it would have made eventually meeting and dating Wil much more awkward).
Wil, frankly, was the character I had the hardest time getting my head around. He comes from an extremely wealthy family, and was an "Oops!Baby" -- Mom went in to labor the day before his oldest sibling's graduation from college. His parents are paying for a certain amount of his college, but he seems to be taking a certain amount of responsibility for himself, with a job and a partial scholarship. At the same time, he seems to have a LOT of spending money relative to his job, which kind of begs the question why he needs the job in the first place, other than as a sort of set-up for the Big Misunderstanding necessary to separate our heroes so they can then make up & make it all better. (Honestly, I'm not knocking it. I love "real" issues in my stories. And this is a good one. Just some of the handling feels very Average Income, while some of it has a *VERY* Well-To-Do vibe. And it confuses me a bit.)
Anyway, they do the "Meet the parents" bit and Zach's mom and dad are wonderful, warm, welcoming parents. They had some issues at first with Mae's existence and Zach's insistence on doing things for himself, but seem to have fallen in love with their granddaughter and to have accepted Zach's need to try to stand on his own two feet, no matter how hard it is. I really loved that they set aside their own misgivings to support him so strongly, and even though when he needed help, Zach went to his mom for it, I never felt like either of them was trying to go behind his dad's back for anything.
Wil's family, on the other hand... I liked his sisters a lot. I hold out hope that, even after his estrangement from his parents, they can become close. Both of them were enthusiastic huggers, welcoming to Zach and Mae, and Jessica was pregnant, so that baby would be close in age to Mae -- built in playmate, if the two families can become close. And I wanted to like Dad -- he invited Zach to the family's New Year's celebration, and seemed open to Wil's being gay, whereas Mom judged Zach harshly for being a young father on a severely limited income, and was unwilling to accept that, no, the right girl isn't magically going to make her son straight. I get that she's older and privileged and all, but those things do not automatically make her less-likable traits ok for a person to have. And my opinion of Dad went down many notches when he caved to Mom and made the ultimatum to Wil -- quit seeing Zach or we withdraw all financial support.
I think one of the biggest things that made it hard for me to see Zach as quite ready for a real, grown-up relationship is how much trouble he had just talking to Wil, up front, about...well, really, anything. They never really discuss how uncomfortable Zach is about how much money Wil spends on him & Mae. They don't really talk about their relationship. Zach breaks up with Wil so that he won't lose the financial support of his parents without really talking to Wil about it at all. Every time they DO talk about anything, it's only after Zach's already had either his mom or his friend Stephanie (an awesome single mom of a toddler) have pretty much sat him down and told him "You're being ridiculous and kind of an idiot. You have to TALK to him. If the two of you are in a relationship, you BOTH have to be in the relationship; that means you both have input, but you also have to actually share that input with each other!" I know Zach had virtually NO experience with any sort of relationship prior to meeting Wil, but Wil certainly had experience, and I kind of wish that he'd been the one to sit Zach down and say those things to him. (Yeah, I know. Zach probably took it better from Stephanie and his mom. Not just the age, but the inexperience, can make certain types of advice easier to take from a friend than from the person you're having trouble communicating with. And there were a few places where Wil gave Zach some good advice -- like about accepting some financial help from his parents.)
Aside from the families, there was a fairly awesome supporting cast -- Stephanie, single mom of two-year-old Sophia, who made me think so much of my own daughter when she was that age; and the three coworker friends of Zach's who made up a study group that met at his apartment regularly. They weren't studying the same things, and weren't even all going to the same school, but they seemed to get a lot out of mutually supporting each other through the trials of homework. And they really helped when Zach ended up behind on his school work because of Mae's continuing issues with ear infections (I am SO GLAD I managed to avoid that with my kids). Mae was extremely well-written, also; not just a Plot Moppet, she had real baby problems, and cause real parent problems for Zach and Wil -- 3 a.m. wakings, food everywhere, missed work and school due to illness, struggle to pay healthcare bills... kudos on that!
Overall, a sweet, engaging story with believable characters and a satisfactory ending!
November 28, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
3.5 stars
It took me a while to read this. Just under a month actually -- I kept putting it down and picking it up later. So, I don't think that it is without faults, but just after the halfway point, I picked it up again and finally started getting into it. And after finishing, well -- I respect this book a lot. It is a divergence from most of the writing these two have done in the past, and from typical romance in several ways. First -- Zach is seventeen when this story starts, and even though they follow the rules, so to speak, and don't show any sex until he's legal, it still pushes the boundaries to think of an underage dad for some people. Second, and SL Armstrong talked about this a couple weeks ago when she stopped by TAR for our spot on the blog tour for this book, the main plot is rather straight forward and simple: two men fall in love, one has a child, and they start a family. There is little other plot besides that, although there are obstacles in their path. That makes this a rather sedate romance and definitely slow to start.
I think that is why I had trouble in the beginning. No matter how much I respected the writing for the purity of plot and the rather realistic look at underage and single parents, I kept thinking… so, this is it? I thought maybe it just wasn't to my taste, because there's nothing wrong with that. But after I spent some more time getting to know Zach and Wil, and when their relationship moved from their internal world of three and out into the world, I started to get it. And then I really liked it. I had a difficult time with Zach and points. He's incredibly insecure about some things, but that is because he's vulnerable, so objectively I understand it and my response to his need of constant reassurance.
I also appreciated that the socioeconomic disparity between the two was made a subject of tension. It's something that is incredibly important in many real life relationships. And I think that's why I respect this story the most, even though it is the very reason it made it difficult for me to get into. This story is much more true to life than most in our genre, most especially in the way it portrays Zach and his need to support his daughter Mae. So I would definitely recommend this story, but I also don't think that it is for everyone. First, this is definitely for those who like reading stories about kids and gay fathers. Much of this book is taken up by Mae, and the issues Zach has to deal with directly relating to parenting. Also, like I mentioned before the plot is entirely involved with the relationship and the parenting, with little else from the outside world except some in the latter half. And finally, with Zach being underage for the first part of the book and his issues with sex after fathering Mae, the romance gets off to a very slow start.
And on a last note, the relationship, for most of the story, is very sweet. Wil is almost too good to be true, and while it bothered me for a lot of the story, that everything just seemed to fall into place and be super easy and cheesy at times, it did work out to my satisfaction in the end and made sense to me.
3.5 stars
It took me a while to read this. Just under a month actually -- I kept putting it down and picking it up later. So, I don't think that it is without faults, but just after the halfway point, I picked it up again and finally started getting into it. And after finishing, well -- I respect this book a lot. It is a divergence from most of the writing these two have done in the past, and from typical romance in several ways. First -- Zach is seventeen when this story starts, and even though they follow the rules, so to speak, and don't show any sex until he's legal, it still pushes the boundaries to think of an underage dad for some people. Second, and SL Armstrong talked about this a couple weeks ago when she stopped by TAR for our spot on the blog tour for this book, the main plot is rather straight forward and simple: two men fall in love, one has a child, and they start a family. There is little other plot besides that, although there are obstacles in their path. That makes this a rather sedate romance and definitely slow to start.
I think that is why I had trouble in the beginning. No matter how much I respected the writing for the purity of plot and the rather realistic look at underage and single parents, I kept thinking… so, this is it? I thought maybe it just wasn't to my taste, because there's nothing wrong with that. But after I spent some more time getting to know Zach and Wil, and when their relationship moved from their internal world of three and out into the world, I started to get it. And then I really liked it. I had a difficult time with Zach and points. He's incredibly insecure about some things, but that is because he's vulnerable, so objectively I understand it and my response to his need of constant reassurance.
I also appreciated that the socioeconomic disparity between the two was made a subject of tension. It's something that is incredibly important in many real life relationships. And I think that's why I respect this story the most, even though it is the very reason it made it difficult for me to get into. This story is much more true to life than most in our genre, most especially in the way it portrays Zach and his need to support his daughter Mae. So I would definitely recommend this story, but I also don't think that it is for everyone. First, this is definitely for those who like reading stories about kids and gay fathers. Much of this book is taken up by Mae, and the issues Zach has to deal with directly relating to parenting. Also, like I mentioned before the plot is entirely involved with the relationship and the parenting, with little else from the outside world except some in the latter half. And finally, with Zach being underage for the first part of the book and his issues with sex after fathering Mae, the romance gets off to a very slow start.
And on a last note, the relationship, for most of the story, is very sweet. Wil is almost too good to be true, and while it bothered me for a lot of the story, that everything just seemed to fall into place and be super easy and cheesy at times, it did work out to my satisfaction in the end and made sense to me.
October 27, 2012
4.5 stars... This book took me back. I had my son at 17 and was on my own trying to make it work out and then I met my husband when he was 6 months. I was proud of Zach on how he was trying to do it all for Mae on his own but I was also like take the help if you can get it. It's great what he was doing but sometimes it's not bad to except the help. I thought his mom and dad were great. He was lucky to have met Wil, he was just a great great guy. I would love to see a few years down the road how they're all doing.
November 4, 2012
When it comes to writing amazing stories, SL Armstrong and K. Piet are definitely the dynamic duo of romance! I’ve loved every book and novella I’ve read written by them and I admit that they are one of those authors that are a must read for me. There aren’t afraid to tackle the sometimes difficult issues we all have as we go through life, and they write realistic heroes that I can identify with and I still would be honored to call a friend in my life too.
At seventeen, Zach has had to deal with a hard dose of reality. After a quick, experimental one night stand with a friend, he suddenly finds himself having full custody of his infant daughter, Mae. Although most teenagers would try to push this responsibility onto others, Zach is determined to work hard and support Mae on his own. He put his own dreams and ambitions on hold, so he can be a good father and does his best to support them without having to heavily rely on others to help him. Zach is also aware that having Mae has put a huge damper on finding someone who is willing to date a teenager with a child that they support, so he’s not expecting to fall in love. Instead, he concentrates on Mae and making the best life he can for her.
One night while working as a cashier at the local store, a handsome young man flirts with him and to Zach’s surprise, leaves him his number. The young man’s name is Wil, and even when Wil finds out that Zach has a baby, it doesn’t bother him at all. Instead, Wil steps up to the plate and starts to see Zach while becoming a big part of both Zach and Mae’s lives. As their relationship grows, Zach becomes more and more reliant on Wil on both an emotional and financial level. This bothers Zach because he doesn’t wish for Wil or anyone to think he’s not able to raise Mae on his own, without heavily relying on others. When Wil’s parents disapprove of their relationship, and Zach finds out that not only do they not approve of them being together, they also insist on Wil breaking it off with him, Zach is once again faced with the hard decision of doing what he thinks is the right thing. Will Zach and Wil’s relationship be strong enough to work through all of the obstacles that seem to be trying to pull them apart?
I LOVED this book! I honestly can’t rave enough about it. I thought Zach was an amazing young man who has a huge capacity to love while still working hard at being a good father to Mae, made him one of my favorite heroes. Zach is young, but the situation he’s in makes him grow up very quickly, so he’s more mature than other young men his age. I loved watching him continue to grow and evolve as a person and really liked the man he is starting to become.
Wil is another hero that I adored. I loved his willingness to love and accept Zach and Mae into his life as well as his drive to still be his own man, while he fights to keep his lover and Mae as part of his future. He’s honest and has a giving, beautiful heart and I thought he was perfect for Zach and Mae. I loved the way Wil and Zach’s relationship slow developed as the story progressed and honestly think the pacing of the book was perfection.
One thing I really appreciated about this book was how both authors did not sweep how challenging and difficult it can be to raise a child. Zach truly struggles, both emotionally and financially and he second-guesses himself when it comes to doing the right thing for both him and Mae. I thought this was a very realistically written story, and I absolutely loved every moment I spent reading it.
I also would like to point out that Making Ends Meet has some gorgeous illustrations throughout the book. I thought the artist did an outstanding job at capturing the essence of the story and the characters themselves. In my opinion, I thought the illustrations made the book even more enjoyable, and I hope that there will be more of these types of books in the future. Highly Recommended!
Reviewed By: Gabbi
At seventeen, Zach has had to deal with a hard dose of reality. After a quick, experimental one night stand with a friend, he suddenly finds himself having full custody of his infant daughter, Mae. Although most teenagers would try to push this responsibility onto others, Zach is determined to work hard and support Mae on his own. He put his own dreams and ambitions on hold, so he can be a good father and does his best to support them without having to heavily rely on others to help him. Zach is also aware that having Mae has put a huge damper on finding someone who is willing to date a teenager with a child that they support, so he’s not expecting to fall in love. Instead, he concentrates on Mae and making the best life he can for her.
One night while working as a cashier at the local store, a handsome young man flirts with him and to Zach’s surprise, leaves him his number. The young man’s name is Wil, and even when Wil finds out that Zach has a baby, it doesn’t bother him at all. Instead, Wil steps up to the plate and starts to see Zach while becoming a big part of both Zach and Mae’s lives. As their relationship grows, Zach becomes more and more reliant on Wil on both an emotional and financial level. This bothers Zach because he doesn’t wish for Wil or anyone to think he’s not able to raise Mae on his own, without heavily relying on others. When Wil’s parents disapprove of their relationship, and Zach finds out that not only do they not approve of them being together, they also insist on Wil breaking it off with him, Zach is once again faced with the hard decision of doing what he thinks is the right thing. Will Zach and Wil’s relationship be strong enough to work through all of the obstacles that seem to be trying to pull them apart?
I LOVED this book! I honestly can’t rave enough about it. I thought Zach was an amazing young man who has a huge capacity to love while still working hard at being a good father to Mae, made him one of my favorite heroes. Zach is young, but the situation he’s in makes him grow up very quickly, so he’s more mature than other young men his age. I loved watching him continue to grow and evolve as a person and really liked the man he is starting to become.
Wil is another hero that I adored. I loved his willingness to love and accept Zach and Mae into his life as well as his drive to still be his own man, while he fights to keep his lover and Mae as part of his future. He’s honest and has a giving, beautiful heart and I thought he was perfect for Zach and Mae. I loved the way Wil and Zach’s relationship slow developed as the story progressed and honestly think the pacing of the book was perfection.
One thing I really appreciated about this book was how both authors did not sweep how challenging and difficult it can be to raise a child. Zach truly struggles, both emotionally and financially and he second-guesses himself when it comes to doing the right thing for both him and Mae. I thought this was a very realistically written story, and I absolutely loved every moment I spent reading it.
I also would like to point out that Making Ends Meet has some gorgeous illustrations throughout the book. I thought the artist did an outstanding job at capturing the essence of the story and the characters themselves. In my opinion, I thought the illustrations made the book even more enjoyable, and I hope that there will be more of these types of books in the future. Highly Recommended!
Reviewed By: Gabbi
October 30, 2012
This review was originally written for MM Good Book Reviews and can also be found there.
Making Ends Meet is a wonderful family oriented book with really fitting illustrations and sweet characters to complete the experience.
Zach is a single parent at seventeen raising his daughter Mae whom he adores. He’s working and taking online college classes while desperately battling with time and refusing to accept help.
Things don’t necessarily change when he meets Wil at the register at Wall Mart after a particularly bad day, it just comes as a surprise to Zach that there is more to life, even for someone like him.
So the two of them ease into a relationship that is by no means easy, but they make it work, despite lack of time, financial issues and one small but very cute little girl.
There is pretty much no conflict in this book. Almost to the very end it’s easy going. Sure it’s difficult for Zach and he has his share of problems not many people his age could even handle, but nothing that upsets the balance and makes this an engaging read. He is a stubborn man who doesn’t want help even when it’s offered with the best of intentions, but he relaxes by the end, and realizes that there’s nothing wrong with accepting a helping hand.
Now Wil was just weird. Okay he was pretty amazing and wonderful in every possible way. He comes from a good family, is too handsome and cute for words, capable and smart when it comes to school. He has no issues with Zach having a daughter, in fact he’s good with children and has absolutely no problem in waiting until Zach is ready to have sex. Now someone tell me that’s not fishy? I mean I kept waiting all the time for the other shoe to drop, just as Zach was. No one is that perfect and having that happily ever after just served on a platter is not easy to accept. But as it happens, Wil is everything listed above and more, and that is something you will have to accept while reading this story.
I loved how much of the book was about Mae and Zach’s struggles. It made the whole thing more real, but had some issues with the passage of time and how a lot of the relationship was skipped. Don’t get me wrong, all the important parts were shown, but there was still a bit of that disconnection happening that made it even harder to believe in the perfect couple.
To conclude, if you’re looking for an easy book, with plenty of family and a small child, courting and abundance of romance, this will be perfect for you. But if you need more action and struggle in your daily dose of fiction, you might leave this one for some other time.
Making Ends Meet is a wonderful family oriented book with really fitting illustrations and sweet characters to complete the experience.
Zach is a single parent at seventeen raising his daughter Mae whom he adores. He’s working and taking online college classes while desperately battling with time and refusing to accept help.
Things don’t necessarily change when he meets Wil at the register at Wall Mart after a particularly bad day, it just comes as a surprise to Zach that there is more to life, even for someone like him.
So the two of them ease into a relationship that is by no means easy, but they make it work, despite lack of time, financial issues and one small but very cute little girl.
There is pretty much no conflict in this book. Almost to the very end it’s easy going. Sure it’s difficult for Zach and he has his share of problems not many people his age could even handle, but nothing that upsets the balance and makes this an engaging read. He is a stubborn man who doesn’t want help even when it’s offered with the best of intentions, but he relaxes by the end, and realizes that there’s nothing wrong with accepting a helping hand.
Now Wil was just weird. Okay he was pretty amazing and wonderful in every possible way. He comes from a good family, is too handsome and cute for words, capable and smart when it comes to school. He has no issues with Zach having a daughter, in fact he’s good with children and has absolutely no problem in waiting until Zach is ready to have sex. Now someone tell me that’s not fishy? I mean I kept waiting all the time for the other shoe to drop, just as Zach was. No one is that perfect and having that happily ever after just served on a platter is not easy to accept. But as it happens, Wil is everything listed above and more, and that is something you will have to accept while reading this story.
I loved how much of the book was about Mae and Zach’s struggles. It made the whole thing more real, but had some issues with the passage of time and how a lot of the relationship was skipped. Don’t get me wrong, all the important parts were shown, but there was still a bit of that disconnection happening that made it even harder to believe in the perfect couple.
To conclude, if you’re looking for an easy book, with plenty of family and a small child, courting and abundance of romance, this will be perfect for you. But if you need more action and struggle in your daily dose of fiction, you might leave this one for some other time.
October 28, 2012
2.5 stars
It was a nice, easy, fluffy story, no lows, but also no real highs, no drama. As there are books where the drama and angst is too much, here I would have loved some of that.
Btw. the situation with the parents wasn't solved; does that mean there is a sequel in the planning?
It was a nice, easy, fluffy story, no lows, but also no real highs, no drama. As there are books where the drama and angst is too much, here I would have loved some of that.
Btw. the situation with the parents wasn't solved; does that mean there is a sequel in the planning?
November 15, 2012
Overall
If you're expecting a plot twist, huge drama, or dark secrets, you're going to be disappointed with Making Ends Meet.
The story is as described in the blurb. It's a charming tale of a very young man who decides to keep the baby he and his friend produced after a misguided night of exploration. Zach is overly independent and Wil is too good to be true, but they still have a sweet story to share. For lovers of everyday romance (and who love babies in stories), this will probably hit all those soft squishy spots.
Review
I found this novel difficult to review because it's just so mellow. There are a few dramatic moments, mostly due to Zach's insistence that he be independent, and there is some family drama, but it's never too explosive, and most of it is just plain ol' Family Drama. In some ways this is refreshing and nice, in other ways it feels like it's missing something. Much like Zach, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Wil is a perfect boyfriend, a perfect father, and a good guy. I found him almost too good, as he's rarely, if ever, the cause of strife in the relationship. Obviously he's the older, wiser, more experienced one, but his perfection rubbed me the wrong way. He rarely gets angry and he does nothing wrong aside from spoil Mae and Zach. I would have liked to have seen some faults in him, but from a literary angle, his only fault was his lack of faults!
Zach is the opposite. He is inexperienced and young and is struggling to raise Mae on his own. He's all about being independent and is against taking money from people, even his parents and his boyfriend. I can completely understand his stance, his struggle, and the arguments he has with friends and family, but I also think it's good that he learns to accept help when he needs it.
The familial contrasts (money, love) are a persistent theme in the story, and I felt the end came together to show what is important. However, in regards to the end, I also wished Zach wasn't always wrong. I felt he had some good points, even if they were only emotional, and they needed to be addressed and accepted more than they were, especially in regards to Wil spending so much money on him and Mae. Wil isn't seen in the wrong because he's giving them something, but the story brushes aside Zach's feelings about this, and despite Wil kind of knowing how Zach feels about the money being spent, he continues to do it. While he obviously has the best intentions, I thought this fault of Wil's could be explored and a better balance found.
An enjoyable story, worth reading, but only if you're in the mood for something super mellow.
Received this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
If you're expecting a plot twist, huge drama, or dark secrets, you're going to be disappointed with Making Ends Meet.
The story is as described in the blurb. It's a charming tale of a very young man who decides to keep the baby he and his friend produced after a misguided night of exploration. Zach is overly independent and Wil is too good to be true, but they still have a sweet story to share. For lovers of everyday romance (and who love babies in stories), this will probably hit all those soft squishy spots.
Review
I found this novel difficult to review because it's just so mellow. There are a few dramatic moments, mostly due to Zach's insistence that he be independent, and there is some family drama, but it's never too explosive, and most of it is just plain ol' Family Drama. In some ways this is refreshing and nice, in other ways it feels like it's missing something. Much like Zach, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Wil is a perfect boyfriend, a perfect father, and a good guy. I found him almost too good, as he's rarely, if ever, the cause of strife in the relationship. Obviously he's the older, wiser, more experienced one, but his perfection rubbed me the wrong way. He rarely gets angry and he does nothing wrong aside from spoil Mae and Zach. I would have liked to have seen some faults in him, but from a literary angle, his only fault was his lack of faults!
Zach is the opposite. He is inexperienced and young and is struggling to raise Mae on his own. He's all about being independent and is against taking money from people, even his parents and his boyfriend. I can completely understand his stance, his struggle, and the arguments he has with friends and family, but I also think it's good that he learns to accept help when he needs it.
The familial contrasts (money, love) are a persistent theme in the story, and I felt the end came together to show what is important. However, in regards to the end, I also wished Zach wasn't always wrong. I felt he had some good points, even if they were only emotional, and they needed to be addressed and accepted more than they were, especially in regards to Wil spending so much money on him and Mae. Wil isn't seen in the wrong because he's giving them something, but the story brushes aside Zach's feelings about this, and despite Wil kind of knowing how Zach feels about the money being spent, he continues to do it. While he obviously has the best intentions, I thought this fault of Wil's could be explored and a better balance found.
An enjoyable story, worth reading, but only if you're in the mood for something super mellow.
Received this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.
October 18, 2013
I really enjoyed this story, though I admit to being a sucker for little girls! Zach was such an amazing dad, watching him struggle was hard but when you look at his reward, Mae, you knew it was worth it. When Wil came along, the missing puzzle piece fell into place. I loved watching them grow together and I loved how patient Wil was with Zach. So glad they got their happy ever after, even if Mommy Dearest tried to put an end to it! :)
May 26, 2021
What a sweet story! I typically shy away from stories about very young men but this one intrigued me and I am glad I purchased it. The story is from the POV of one of the MC's and the reader really gets to know him - a truly lovely love story based on the importance of family. The other MC is just as fascinating and I wish the author had done more to show his POV too because he was a sweetie!
Lots of great character development, an intriguing story and some realistic (and hot) sex scenes between an inexperienced 18 year-old young adult man and a slightly more experienced early 20's young adult man.
Lots of great character development, an intriguing story and some realistic (and hot) sex scenes between an inexperienced 18 year-old young adult man and a slightly more experienced early 20's young adult man.
October 5, 2013
God Zach was so stubborn but I just loved him! These two made the cutest couple evah! It did seem a little easy though. Like this 23 yr old guy just walks into your life and wants that insta-family so young. I don't know. I did get a little weepy but not terribly so and I really wanted to hurt Wil's mom. What a bitch!! Really enjoyed this one.
October 30, 2012
3.5
I really enjoyed the story, but I didn't buy the MC as a 17 yr old. I spend all day with 17 yr olds, some very mature, but I couldn't get my mind around that part of the story. I decided to pretend he was 19 and the story was much better!
II really enjoyed reading it, nonetheless!
I really enjoyed the story, but I didn't buy the MC as a 17 yr old. I spend all day with 17 yr olds, some very mature, but I couldn't get my mind around that part of the story. I decided to pretend he was 19 and the story was much better!
II really enjoyed reading it, nonetheless!
April 21, 2017
I finally finished it but the characters did not really make me care apart from Mae who was adorable
October 28, 2012
I liked the simplicity of this book. Nothing major happened, but it was filled with likable characters and the baby was adorable. Just a happy little read for me.
May 5, 2018
Enjoyed this book!
July 31, 2013
Zach is seventeen, a high school drop out with his GED, living on the edge of financial ruin and as a single Dad. His life revolves around his four-month-old daughter Mae, the two college courses he manages to afford, and working endless hours at Walmart. He finds it difficult to accept or even ask for help from two very loving parents and often finds himself running on empty—exhausted and alone. To top it all off, Mae was the result of one frantic attempt to figure out if he was indeed really gay.
His future is uncertain, his present exhausting, and his past a rainbow of what seem to be poor decisions. But his determination to do it all and be the best father, a successful student is staggering, and it is this grit that keeps him moving, despite the awful odds laid out against him. The last thing Zach was looking for was a boyfriend, the last thing he wants is to have an endless parade of “Uncles” come in and out of Mae’s life. So he deliberately shut himself off from the idea that he could ever have a relationship and is utterly surprised when Wil shows up in his life, looking too good to be true.
Wil’s life is so very different from Zach’s, wealth, good looks, a confident air, and limitless possibilities. What could Zach possibly have to offer someone who already seems to have it all?
Love…Wil’s life is empty, devoid of a sense of belonging, of being loved. Made to know that he was an “accident” his parents did not want or anticipate, Wil was given anything he wanted—except unconditional love from his parents. Rather than acknowledging their son was gay, they were sure it was a “phase” and one day he would grow out of it. Wil was in search of a family—and he got one in spades when he met Zach and Mae.
Making Ends Meet is a beautifully laid out love story that grew on me page after page. Authors Armstrong and Piet admittedly had their work cut out for them. This storyline could have drawn big fire from critics as implausible--and I will freely admit that given a lesser storyteller than these women, Zach and Wil could have read as just completely unbelievable. However, the detail and time they took to unfold the plot—even down to having the boys wait until Zach turned eighteen to make love lent the novel its much needed believability.
I wanted to disbelieve that a seventeen-year-old boy could be a loving father, but the evidence was so perfectly written on the page that my mind was. These authors gave me real, solid characters, ones that I could imagine meeting, watching and, yes, cheering on in real life. And that is the beauty of a well written novel, that the characters transcend the page and become real for the reader.
I highly recommend Making Ends Meet by S.L. Armstrong and K. Piet to you dear reader. It is a tender love story you will not want to miss.
His future is uncertain, his present exhausting, and his past a rainbow of what seem to be poor decisions. But his determination to do it all and be the best father, a successful student is staggering, and it is this grit that keeps him moving, despite the awful odds laid out against him. The last thing Zach was looking for was a boyfriend, the last thing he wants is to have an endless parade of “Uncles” come in and out of Mae’s life. So he deliberately shut himself off from the idea that he could ever have a relationship and is utterly surprised when Wil shows up in his life, looking too good to be true.
Wil’s life is so very different from Zach’s, wealth, good looks, a confident air, and limitless possibilities. What could Zach possibly have to offer someone who already seems to have it all?
Love…Wil’s life is empty, devoid of a sense of belonging, of being loved. Made to know that he was an “accident” his parents did not want or anticipate, Wil was given anything he wanted—except unconditional love from his parents. Rather than acknowledging their son was gay, they were sure it was a “phase” and one day he would grow out of it. Wil was in search of a family—and he got one in spades when he met Zach and Mae.
Making Ends Meet is a beautifully laid out love story that grew on me page after page. Authors Armstrong and Piet admittedly had their work cut out for them. This storyline could have drawn big fire from critics as implausible--and I will freely admit that given a lesser storyteller than these women, Zach and Wil could have read as just completely unbelievable. However, the detail and time they took to unfold the plot—even down to having the boys wait until Zach turned eighteen to make love lent the novel its much needed believability.
I wanted to disbelieve that a seventeen-year-old boy could be a loving father, but the evidence was so perfectly written on the page that my mind was. These authors gave me real, solid characters, ones that I could imagine meeting, watching and, yes, cheering on in real life. And that is the beauty of a well written novel, that the characters transcend the page and become real for the reader.
I highly recommend Making Ends Meet by S.L. Armstrong and K. Piet to you dear reader. It is a tender love story you will not want to miss.
February 10, 2016
I really appreciated an honest portrayal of a person struggling with low-income living. So often book characters are put in difficult situations like Zach's, but magically everything works out from a finance perspective. There's no mention of how they paid for this or that. Making ends meet is tough and it's often heartbreaking when it's just you, but when a child is added to the mix, that frustration and heartbreak is just amplified. I thought this book did a good job of showing how emotionally taxing struggling to get by can be. And even though Zach had some safety nets in place, it was great to see a character dealing with the real, relevant issue of financial struggles in an honest way.
The love story was a little bland for me. I never felt any passion between Zach and Wil. They were sweet, but as busy as their lives were and with the limited time they were able to spend together because of their hectic schedules, I never fully believed their connection could be as profound as it was presented to be. The relationship seemed rushed in that they went from strangers to "I love you" in a few short (VERY busy) months, even though it seemed like they only spent about 5 minutes together total in that time. Also, I know Zach is young and he doesn't have any real dating experience, but he's very insecure in his relationship with Wil and the result is an appearance of immaturity, at least when it comes his relationship. (He seems very mature otherwise, what with the choosing to go it alone with a child at a young age when he easily could have chosen not to be part of the child's life.) Wil seems to be the nicest, most patient and understanding guy on the planet, but I found myself wondering what it was about Zach that drew him in.
All that said, I did generally like the story. It was sugary sweet, which I sort of assumed going in and I'm fine with that. The characters could have been fleshed out more, especially Wil. It was a quick and easy read. Sometimes that's what I want and this story served that purpose for me.
Overall, it's an okay book, but sadly, not an incredibly memorable one.
The love story was a little bland for me. I never felt any passion between Zach and Wil. They were sweet, but as busy as their lives were and with the limited time they were able to spend together because of their hectic schedules, I never fully believed their connection could be as profound as it was presented to be. The relationship seemed rushed in that they went from strangers to "I love you" in a few short (VERY busy) months, even though it seemed like they only spent about 5 minutes together total in that time. Also, I know Zach is young and he doesn't have any real dating experience, but he's very insecure in his relationship with Wil and the result is an appearance of immaturity, at least when it comes his relationship. (He seems very mature otherwise, what with the choosing to go it alone with a child at a young age when he easily could have chosen not to be part of the child's life.) Wil seems to be the nicest, most patient and understanding guy on the planet, but I found myself wondering what it was about Zach that drew him in.
All that said, I did generally like the story. It was sugary sweet, which I sort of assumed going in and I'm fine with that. The characters could have been fleshed out more, especially Wil. It was a quick and easy read. Sometimes that's what I want and this story served that purpose for me.
Overall, it's an okay book, but sadly, not an incredibly memorable one.
July 1, 2016
This is a very direct storyline about the struggles a 17 year old single father faces while raising a newborn and trying to go to school while having a relationship.
The only “hurdle” in the story is Zach’s constant worry. He worries about being a good father. He worries he’s too much of a burden to Wil. He worries about making ends meet. He worries about being in a safe neighborhood. He worries about distancing Wil’s family. Etc.
Zach is very insecure and this is really the only angst in this story.
On the one hand I enjoyed watching the storyline roll out – seeing Zach navigate these hurdles and admired him for being willing to do all this on his own.
On the other hand I kept scratching my head … Why would Wil want any of this? (Not that he shouldn’t want it – but WHY does he?) The authors do not do a good job of giving Wil motivation to be with Zach other than an initial chemical attraction at the beginning of the story.
The other issue that had me scratching my head was the author’s choice to make Zach 17. He could have had all of these difficulties at 18, 19, 20 etc; but at 17 he also has the hurdle of legalities and the uncomfortable skeeviness of “statutory” issues.
While I appreciated the conflict Wil’s family situation brought to the story, I did not understand Wil’s response. In fact, Wil was the most misunderstood character in the whole story. I felt like I understood his parents and sibling’s motivations more than his at times.
All in all, it was an interesting read. It was thorough and descriptive. The drawings – while a little startling to run across – were cute. For someone in need of a low-angst story involving young lovers and a baby (low steam) this is your book. For someone looking for a romance that burns up the pages – keep looking.
3 of 5 stars
The only “hurdle” in the story is Zach’s constant worry. He worries about being a good father. He worries he’s too much of a burden to Wil. He worries about making ends meet. He worries about being in a safe neighborhood. He worries about distancing Wil’s family. Etc.
Zach is very insecure and this is really the only angst in this story.
On the one hand I enjoyed watching the storyline roll out – seeing Zach navigate these hurdles and admired him for being willing to do all this on his own.
On the other hand I kept scratching my head … Why would Wil want any of this? (Not that he shouldn’t want it – but WHY does he?) The authors do not do a good job of giving Wil motivation to be with Zach other than an initial chemical attraction at the beginning of the story.
The other issue that had me scratching my head was the author’s choice to make Zach 17. He could have had all of these difficulties at 18, 19, 20 etc; but at 17 he also has the hurdle of legalities and the uncomfortable skeeviness of “statutory” issues.
While I appreciated the conflict Wil’s family situation brought to the story, I did not understand Wil’s response. In fact, Wil was the most misunderstood character in the whole story. I felt like I understood his parents and sibling’s motivations more than his at times.
All in all, it was an interesting read. It was thorough and descriptive. The drawings – while a little startling to run across – were cute. For someone in need of a low-angst story involving young lovers and a baby (low steam) this is your book. For someone looking for a romance that burns up the pages – keep looking.
3 of 5 stars
May 12, 2013
Who can resist this adorable cover? Yes, I can be shallow and it influenced me in picking this book to read next, and boy, was that a good call. S.L. Amstrong's and K Piet's novel was irresistible from the start, and was a joy to the last page. Sure, I had to get myself used to the simple writing, and had to remind myself this is a Young Adult novel. I mean, it even had illustrations every couple of chapters or so, and I have to admit it helped in my appreciation of it. This is a story of a seventeen year old gay guy who gets a girl pregnant and ends up taking care of the baby. He is struggling making ends meet until he meets the perfect guy, and the guy is truly perfect. About halfway through the book, I kept waiting for a conflict - I mean, surely he cannot be that perfect - and then the conflict does show up, though it seems like it is from a 50s melodrama. It works, though, and got me more invested in the novel. This is a book that whiled my time away perfectly, and at the end I felt like I knew and liked these characters enough that I missed them after I finished the book. I usually try to shy away from books written by more than one person, but in this case the partnership worked.
BC-31
http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...
BC-31
http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...
April 9, 2014
I didn't really get into this book until I was about half way through. I didn't find it boring, exactly, just not very griping. Somehow, though, toward the end I realized I cared about the characters and what happened to them and I couldn't wait to get to the happy ending.
It's very rare to find books in this genre where everyday money problems are so clearly present. Sure there are the extreme ones where somebody ends up as a prostitute, but these boring, familiar struggles are mostly glossed over or they simply don't exist.
Aside from Wil and Zach falling in love there's very little plot but get to know the characters well and the story is very compact.
Some details that I appreciated were Zach being friends with Samantha, who was a great character, as young single parents often do feel most comfortable with people in a asimilar situation. Also Wil's advice about Zach needing to accept help for his daughter's sake was a good point. Pride is okay when your alone but once you have kids you need to learn to let go of it at times. And of course Mae's eternal ear infection, which has been known to drive a lot of parents to the brink of insanity.
This book is great if you're looking for a soothing read with low levels of angst and a story about building a family.
It's very rare to find books in this genre where everyday money problems are so clearly present. Sure there are the extreme ones where somebody ends up as a prostitute, but these boring, familiar struggles are mostly glossed over or they simply don't exist.
Aside from Wil and Zach falling in love there's very little plot but get to know the characters well and the story is very compact.
Some details that I appreciated were Zach being friends with Samantha, who was a great character, as young single parents often do feel most comfortable with people in a asimilar situation. Also Wil's advice about Zach needing to accept help for his daughter's sake was a good point. Pride is okay when your alone but once you have kids you need to learn to let go of it at times. And of course Mae's eternal ear infection, which has been known to drive a lot of parents to the brink of insanity.
This book is great if you're looking for a soothing read with low levels of angst and a story about building a family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2015
This was a sweet read, not a lot of angst...it kind of reminded me of One Small Thing although Zach was a bit younger.
Zach was a good guy, you could really feel the love he had for Mae and that he truly wanted to do what was best for his daughter.
Wil was a nice guy, he did take to the whole family thing really quick...didn't even blink an eye that Zach had a kid and included her right from the get go.
Mae was 4 months old at the start of the book and the epilogue has them at her 1 year birthday, she was a well written character, the authors had her doing age appropriate things!
I would have loved this to have ended a bit further in the future, like say Mae's 5th birthday, so we could see how things ended up for these boys but it ended on a positive note...
If you are looking for a quick, light read go ahead and give this one a try!
Zach was a good guy, you could really feel the love he had for Mae and that he truly wanted to do what was best for his daughter.
Wil was a nice guy, he did take to the whole family thing really quick...didn't even blink an eye that Zach had a kid and included her right from the get go.
Mae was 4 months old at the start of the book and the epilogue has them at her 1 year birthday, she was a well written character, the authors had her doing age appropriate things!
I would have loved this to have ended a bit further in the future, like say Mae's 5th birthday, so we could see how things ended up for these boys but it ended on a positive note...
If you are looking for a quick, light read go ahead and give this one a try!
January 20, 2015
A realistic, real life relationship story, with a baby. Simple writing style, story kinda makes you go aww, cus it is just so cute and heartwarming.
It wasn't a page turner but it wasn't bad either. However, I almost gave up on it. I put it down and then picked it up for the sake of finishing it.
It just did not appeal to me, either due to the simple plot (but then again, this is not a soap opera or a thriller), or the writing style(Wil, is just too good to be true; the simple dialogue.)
Also, in the beginning I kept waiting for the conflict finally happen (as by looking at how many pages were left, there would not be enough space for a resolution, it happens after ¾ of the book), so basically, the story appeared slow to me.
However, I will admit that I liked the realistic reason for the tension/conflict between the main characters. I did not think it had that cheesiness of romance book conflicts, but something that would really happen in life.
Also I really liked that the main character, Zach, had a support group, to offer sound relationship advice
It wasn't a page turner but it wasn't bad either. However, I almost gave up on it. I put it down and then picked it up for the sake of finishing it.
It just did not appeal to me, either due to the simple plot (but then again, this is not a soap opera or a thriller), or the writing style(Wil, is just too good to be true; the simple dialogue.)
Also, in the beginning I kept waiting for the conflict finally happen (as by looking at how many pages were left, there would not be enough space for a resolution, it happens after ¾ of the book), so basically, the story appeared slow to me.
However, I will admit that I liked the realistic reason for the tension/conflict between the main characters. I did not think it had that cheesiness of romance book conflicts, but something that would really happen in life.
Also I really liked that the main character, Zach, had a support group, to offer sound relationship advice
November 16, 2012
I liked it ok. It was super sweet and honestly a bit chessey. The internal struggle was repetitive however I found if I skipped some of the internal angst I liked the story. Although I had one niggle
October 20, 2014
This is a sweet story, slow burn romance (my favorite kind) about Zach, a 17-year-old raising his baby on his own since her mother didn't want to keep her. Though his parents help him emotionally and financially, he wants to be her primary parent so is struggling to make ends meet by working part time at Walmart and going to school part time.
It's at Walmart that he meets Wil when he comes through Zach's checkout line. He feels that Wil's attention, his desire to date Zach and include May is too good to be true. But Wil is very patient and slowly wins Zach over. Zach has never been with a man but knows he's gay, especially after the one attempt to try with a female results in both his decision and the pregnancy.
The story is sweet, the development of anything hot and heavy very slow (and not until he turns 18), but if you like a nice romance with everyday people who struggle through everyday circumstances, this one will be just right for you. 3.5 stars
It's at Walmart that he meets Wil when he comes through Zach's checkout line. He feels that Wil's attention, his desire to date Zach and include May is too good to be true. But Wil is very patient and slowly wins Zach over. Zach has never been with a man but knows he's gay, especially after the one attempt to try with a female results in both his decision and the pregnancy.
The story is sweet, the development of anything hot and heavy very slow (and not until he turns 18), but if you like a nice romance with everyday people who struggle through everyday circumstances, this one will be just right for you. 3.5 stars
November 26, 2014
I really should start reading the blurb on books. I saw this with 2 guys and a baby and thought "Yeah, I need to read this."
I didn't know these guys were gonna be so damn young. I couldn't read the intimate scenes, (that has got to be a first ever for me!) Since I have 7 younger siblings that are all older than these two, and my baby sister is the same age as Zach, the intimate scenes in this felt kinda icky to me.
It was a beautiful story, and beautifully written, but I just couldn't get past the age thing, and it's not like I could just pretend in my head they were older, because the story is about Zach being so young and dealing with everything he does.
If I'd read this a few years ago maybe it would have sat better with me, I dunno.
It was lovely, but I think I'll stick to older characters.
I didn't know these guys were gonna be so damn young. I couldn't read the intimate scenes, (that has got to be a first ever for me!) Since I have 7 younger siblings that are all older than these two, and my baby sister is the same age as Zach, the intimate scenes in this felt kinda icky to me.
It was a beautiful story, and beautifully written, but I just couldn't get past the age thing, and it's not like I could just pretend in my head they were older, because the story is about Zach being so young and dealing with everything he does.
If I'd read this a few years ago maybe it would have sat better with me, I dunno.
It was lovely, but I think I'll stick to older characters.
February 2, 2015
If you like marshmallows, you'll love this - sweet, comforting.
A story of young love, with Zach juggling school, work, living and a baby, and struggling to keep his head above water. He learns how to swallow his pride and ask for help. Wil is almost too good to be true, helping and supporting Zach and not pushing too hard. He had his moment too.
Did feel zach's frustration at all the mess that got thrown his way. I'd have liked to see Wil's parents more after their ultimatum.
Even the angsty bits were soft, for me overall perhaps too much sweet but nevertheless, quite a good read. Would rank probably closer to a 3.5
A story of young love, with Zach juggling school, work, living and a baby, and struggling to keep his head above water. He learns how to swallow his pride and ask for help. Wil is almost too good to be true, helping and supporting Zach and not pushing too hard. He had his moment too.
Did feel zach's frustration at all the mess that got thrown his way. I'd have liked to see Wil's parents more after their ultimatum.
Even the angsty bits were soft, for me overall perhaps too much sweet but nevertheless, quite a good read. Would rank probably closer to a 3.5
March 18, 2016
This book was frustrating. I wanted to kill Zach pretty much all the time. He was a whiny brat that was in trouble because he wanted to be. Too prideful to accept any kind of help? Ok then, but don't complain later about how bad your life is.
He didn't deserve Wil, didn't appreciate him enough, didn't treat him right either. He deserved to end up alone.
He didn't deserve Wil, didn't appreciate him enough, didn't treat him right either. He deserved to end up alone.
April 6, 2016
Zach was an interesting character. Perfect blend of teen acting his age and an adult. Wil is an ideal. No one is this perfect. His only fault, at least according to Zach, was spending money on his boyfriend and little baby girl. So yeah, not much of a flaw here.
It was interesting how this book treated the difficulties of starting an independent life and becoming a responsible adult. It was different and in a good way.
It was interesting how this book treated the difficulties of starting an independent life and becoming a responsible adult. It was different and in a good way.
October 17, 2016
2.5 stars
I liked it, honest true, but most of the time reading it I felt like I was reading for reading.. Not really into the story 100%. I like stories where there is a child and the guy is devoted to his child/younger brother, etc... and I liked how Zack treated Mae, but I don't know.. I honestly don't know what exactly I didn't like.. it was more something general concept rather than details.
Eitherway, if you like light stories with children involved, you might like this one.
I liked it, honest true, but most of the time reading it I felt like I was reading for reading.. Not really into the story 100%. I like stories where there is a child and the guy is devoted to his child/younger brother, etc... and I liked how Zack treated Mae, but I don't know.. I honestly don't know what exactly I didn't like.. it was more something general concept rather than details.
Eitherway, if you like light stories with children involved, you might like this one.
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