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Maybe This Time
Wrong place, wrong time.
Every few years, Will Hardwicke runs into Rob Cunningham, his first crush. Unfortunately, something always prevents them getting together. As teenagers, Will is too scared to publicly admit he’s gay. Years later, Will’s out, but Rob already has a boyfriend. It seems the stars are aligned against them.
Finally, Will gets another chance. This time, when Fate decides it's time for his once-a-decade run-in with Rob, Will wants to ensure things are different. For the first time, Will and Rob are both out and available—it’s now or never.
Every few years, Will Hardwicke runs into Rob Cunningham, his first crush. Unfortunately, something always prevents them getting together. As teenagers, Will is too scared to publicly admit he’s gay. Years later, Will’s out, but Rob already has a boyfriend. It seems the stars are aligned against them.
Finally, Will gets another chance. This time, when Fate decides it's time for his once-a-decade run-in with Rob, Will wants to ensure things are different. For the first time, Will and Rob are both out and available—it’s now or never.
61 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2013
1 person is currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 29, 2013
I liked this one. It jumped in two 9 year increments which had me screaming after the second one. :D
I really enjoyed Will and Rob and I adored how Will was with his best friend Fee. The flow even with the time jumps worked for me and I enjoyed how the men lived regret free in that they accepted when the timing was wrong and embraced it when it was right.
Great little epilogue as well.
I really enjoyed Will and Rob and I adored how Will was with his best friend Fee. The flow even with the time jumps worked for me and I enjoyed how the men lived regret free in that they accepted when the timing was wrong and embraced it when it was right.
Great little epilogue as well.
January 17, 2013
4.5 stars
There is a time for everything under the sun.
This is a book about Will's and Rob's journey, with Will as the narrator. It spans two decades. The book is divided into four parts. The first is when they're about to graduate from high school in 1992. Will was the goth boy while Rob was the golden boy: rugby star and academic achiever. Not to mention great looking. The second is nine years later, in a friend's wedding. Will was a successful programmer and single. Rob was a successful engineer and taken. The third is another nine years later, when they met in a gay club. They both are in mid-to-late 30s. And singles. The final part is the epilogue, sort of.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Hopelessly romantic. Sweet and heartwarming but not tooth-ache type. Some parts felt sad, because they just happen to be in a life stage where they couldn't be together. Likeable characters. It doesn't get full 5 stars, though.
There is a time for everything under the sun.
This is a book about Will's and Rob's journey, with Will as the narrator. It spans two decades. The book is divided into four parts. The first is when they're about to graduate from high school in 1992. Will was the goth boy while Rob was the golden boy: rugby star and academic achiever. Not to mention great looking. The second is nine years later, in a friend's wedding. Will was a successful programmer and single. Rob was a successful engineer and taken. The third is another nine years later, when they met in a gay club. They both are in mid-to-late 30s. And singles. The final part is the epilogue, sort of.
I really enjoyed reading this book. Hopelessly romantic. Sweet and heartwarming but not tooth-ache type. Some parts felt sad, because they just happen to be in a life stage where they couldn't be together. Likeable characters. It doesn't get full 5 stars, though.
January 17, 2013
3.25 stars. Nice and sweet novella with no angst nor big misunderstandings. Will and Rob went to school together where Will had a huge crush on Rob. Unfortunately, they were both in the closet at the time. Eventually they meet again a few years later at a wedding but Rob was in a relationship. They meet a third time a few years later at a club after Will came out of a long-term relationship and decided to not let each other go. It turned out their last encounter wasn't fate at all.
January 25, 2013
3.35 stars
"The One That Got Away" is one of my favorite themes in romance. There are so many opportunities of making that theme intense and emotional and memorable.
This one is sweet but not quite 'there' yet. I think it is mainly due to the structure and length of the story. The story contains three chapters and an epilogue, with each chapter set in 9 years apart (1992, 2001, 2010). In 1992, both Will and Rob weren't out yet, still teenager, and Will couldn't wait to leave his home and be proud of who he was. In 2001, they met again, Will already out and proud, but the timing weren't right. Then in 2010, they finally got the chance.
But because of this structure, I kinda miss the built-up as well as the 'getting to know you' part. I would love to know more about the two of them after they finally come to the right moment of being together. How Will gets familiar with Rob's dogs for example. How is their truly 'first' date. Or such.
If you have watched "Four Weddings and a Funeral", you probably know what I mean. I wanted so much for Hugh Grant to finally get Andie McDowell, after 4 weddings and 1 funeral, because I was led to that point, watching how great the two characters interacted in between... before that final scene in the rain. Truthfully, there aren't really any of those here -- the scenes where I can see how Will and Rob truly connect that can make me truly root for them to be together.
Still it is quite lovely, if you're in the mood for something like this.
"The One That Got Away" is one of my favorite themes in romance. There are so many opportunities of making that theme intense and emotional and memorable.
This one is sweet but not quite 'there' yet. I think it is mainly due to the structure and length of the story. The story contains three chapters and an epilogue, with each chapter set in 9 years apart (1992, 2001, 2010). In 1992, both Will and Rob weren't out yet, still teenager, and Will couldn't wait to leave his home and be proud of who he was. In 2001, they met again, Will already out and proud, but the timing weren't right. Then in 2010, they finally got the chance.
But because of this structure, I kinda miss the built-up as well as the 'getting to know you' part. I would love to know more about the two of them after they finally come to the right moment of being together. How Will gets familiar with Rob's dogs for example. How is their truly 'first' date. Or such.
If you have watched "Four Weddings and a Funeral", you probably know what I mean. I wanted so much for Hugh Grant to finally get Andie McDowell, after 4 weddings and 1 funeral, because I was led to that point, watching how great the two characters interacted in between... before that final scene in the rain. Truthfully, there aren't really any of those here -- the scenes where I can see how Will and Rob truly connect that can make me truly root for them to be together.
Still it is quite lovely, if you're in the mood for something like this.
January 22, 2013
Review posted at Brief Encounters Reviews.
4.5 stars
The blurb pretty much tells the story here and there is little for me to add to the overall summary of the plot. Still, what seems like a somewhat unoriginal story from the blurb is made unique out by fresh prose and lots of attention to detail. When the story first starts, set in 1992 at Shady Ladies bar filled with drunk 18 year old graduates, the setting is clinched immediately by firmly grasping the time and place of the scene. Music, the style of clothing and hair, and most of all the attitude of Will, an early-nineties goth punk who thinks he different from everyone else in the world -- the world being Cumbria, Northern England -- grasped me and sucked me into the story.
It's true, The One That Got Away plot line isn't exactly original. This story is structured in three parts, each 9 years apart (1992, 2001, 2010) which is usually very difficult to transition between. There is so much time that passes and pieces of life between those times that are so very important in a romance, where the emotional maturity/growth of the characters needs to be seen. I was happy and surprised to see that this wasn't a problem at all for this author. Part of that is the immediate setting and place that I mentioned before. Another part is that each time we see Will and Rob in a new time and place, so very far from where we saw them before, they've changed quite a bit. There is a wealth of detail and the writing is very tight, without any excess that would water down the story needlessly, so it doesn't take much time for the Clancy to set a scene and fill it with sensory detail.
I wavered directly after finishing the story if I should give it a B+ or an A-, and though it came close there is one reason this story isn't an A read for me. I felt like I knew and understood the characters and I was really happy that my original assessment of this author (who I reviewed a christmas story by at my own blog last month) is that she's a great new addition to our genre with a knack for good writing. But this story didn't reach beyond the relationship and the characters to stick with me. What is there is wonderful, something that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. But I needed to feel just a little more affected.
This is an author that I encourage readers to get to know. I'll be looking forward to what she writes and publishes in the future!
4.5 stars
The blurb pretty much tells the story here and there is little for me to add to the overall summary of the plot. Still, what seems like a somewhat unoriginal story from the blurb is made unique out by fresh prose and lots of attention to detail. When the story first starts, set in 1992 at Shady Ladies bar filled with drunk 18 year old graduates, the setting is clinched immediately by firmly grasping the time and place of the scene. Music, the style of clothing and hair, and most of all the attitude of Will, an early-nineties goth punk who thinks he different from everyone else in the world -- the world being Cumbria, Northern England -- grasped me and sucked me into the story.
It's true, The One That Got Away plot line isn't exactly original. This story is structured in three parts, each 9 years apart (1992, 2001, 2010) which is usually very difficult to transition between. There is so much time that passes and pieces of life between those times that are so very important in a romance, where the emotional maturity/growth of the characters needs to be seen. I was happy and surprised to see that this wasn't a problem at all for this author. Part of that is the immediate setting and place that I mentioned before. Another part is that each time we see Will and Rob in a new time and place, so very far from where we saw them before, they've changed quite a bit. There is a wealth of detail and the writing is very tight, without any excess that would water down the story needlessly, so it doesn't take much time for the Clancy to set a scene and fill it with sensory detail.
I wavered directly after finishing the story if I should give it a B+ or an A-, and though it came close there is one reason this story isn't an A read for me. I felt like I knew and understood the characters and I was really happy that my original assessment of this author (who I reviewed a christmas story by at my own blog last month) is that she's a great new addition to our genre with a knack for good writing. But this story didn't reach beyond the relationship and the characters to stick with me. What is there is wonderful, something that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. But I needed to feel just a little more affected.
This is an author that I encourage readers to get to know. I'll be looking forward to what she writes and publishes in the future!
January 17, 2013
Beautiful.... just beautiful... one of the sweetest love stories i have read this year and well deserving of 5 stars... okay MAYBE i was a tad bit biased seeing as there was also mention of 2(!!) Take That songs and God knows i LOVE/D those boys... :)
IMO, ANY author that can work a Take That song, let alone 2, deserves kudos!! LOL!!!
IMO, ANY author that can work a Take That song, let alone 2, deserves kudos!! LOL!!!
March 4, 2013
This was a very sweet story about 'the one that got away'. For those who like those types of stories will really enjoy this one. I liked it a lot but I also felt like the lead up to their feelings and emotions was a bit lacking.
It was interesting to see Rob and Will meet every nine years and how their feelings never actually dissipated. I really loved those moments when they wanted to act on their attraction but something always got in their way. I really wished this story had been longer, though. Seeing their attraction develop, what they do with it after they get together, if they actually 'make' it even though it is obvious they are meant to be together. The story is good but more depth would have made it better. As such, it misses the connection I could have gained with both characters had the story went deeper into Rob and Will and their new found relationship.
This was a cute little short story and the only thing stopping this story from being great is the lack of depth to the characters, their emotions and their eventual relationship.
It was interesting to see Rob and Will meet every nine years and how their feelings never actually dissipated. I really loved those moments when they wanted to act on their attraction but something always got in their way. I really wished this story had been longer, though. Seeing their attraction develop, what they do with it after they get together, if they actually 'make' it even though it is obvious they are meant to be together. The story is good but more depth would have made it better. As such, it misses the connection I could have gained with both characters had the story went deeper into Rob and Will and their new found relationship.
This was a cute little short story and the only thing stopping this story from being great is the lack of depth to the characters, their emotions and their eventual relationship.
May 19, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Well, it's really a short story. I found myself rooting for Will and Rob from the beginning. The only negative (besides the length of the story) is that the story jumped ahead in increments of 9 years. A little too long in between for me to really make it plausible, but it works here. It's really a lovely tale being able to go home and again finding the one that got away.
January 20, 2013
3,4* A sweet story but a little plain.
May 22, 2013
3.75
Maybe This Time is a short and very sweet story about childhood acquaintances (I really don't think you could call them friends) running into each other every few years and finally finding each other.
There's definitely an attraction from the very beginning, them being 18 and freshly out of school, but there are always circumstances hindering them from being together - until they finally meet at 36, both single, available, and the spark's sparklier than ever.
Very cute and nicely written! What I'm missing here, though, are the times in between their meetings - it would have made the whole story more intense if we'd gotten to know more about their lives, their stumbles, their relationship disappointments up until meeting again.
A nice, fluffy little read!
Maybe This Time is a short and very sweet story about childhood acquaintances (I really don't think you could call them friends) running into each other every few years and finally finding each other.
There's definitely an attraction from the very beginning, them being 18 and freshly out of school, but there are always circumstances hindering them from being together - until they finally meet at 36, both single, available, and the spark's sparklier than ever.
Very cute and nicely written! What I'm missing here, though, are the times in between their meetings - it would have made the whole story more intense if we'd gotten to know more about their lives, their stumbles, their relationship disappointments up until meeting again.
A nice, fluffy little read!
January 20, 2013
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews
3.5
I actually went back after finishing this book and skimmed back through it, thinking that I missed a part of it. The blurb states “every few years” they meet and “something always prevents them” from being together. While that is sort of true, in actuality, they only meet three times (twice before their final chance) and it is nine years in between each time. So I was expecting a little more of a so-close and yet so-far kind of thing but really they hardly know each other each time.
That being said, it’s a sweet story told in first person POV by Will. Will knows he’s gay and he can’t wait to leave his hometown, where that just isn’t easily tolerated, and go to the city to begin his life. As a teen he crushes on Rob, a very straight athlete. Or is he? Will really isn’t sure on the last day he sees Rob, but then it’s all moving forward to his new life.
Fast forward nine years, they accidentally run into each other again. This time they get to have a little conversation and share a kiss, one that shouldn’t have happened. Exit separate doors.
Finally, maybe, this time they can meet up, get to know each other and possibly belong to each other. Again, it’s another nine years late, so they are both older and maybe ready for a partner. Fate? Maybe. Maybe not.
Will has an amazing best friend named Fee and she was lovely to read. I liked the epilogue, as a cute and romantic way to end. It’s got some funny and a little sad but mostly it’s romantic.
3.5
I actually went back after finishing this book and skimmed back through it, thinking that I missed a part of it. The blurb states “every few years” they meet and “something always prevents them” from being together. While that is sort of true, in actuality, they only meet three times (twice before their final chance) and it is nine years in between each time. So I was expecting a little more of a so-close and yet so-far kind of thing but really they hardly know each other each time.
That being said, it’s a sweet story told in first person POV by Will. Will knows he’s gay and he can’t wait to leave his hometown, where that just isn’t easily tolerated, and go to the city to begin his life. As a teen he crushes on Rob, a very straight athlete. Or is he? Will really isn’t sure on the last day he sees Rob, but then it’s all moving forward to his new life.
Fast forward nine years, they accidentally run into each other again. This time they get to have a little conversation and share a kiss, one that shouldn’t have happened. Exit separate doors.
Finally, maybe, this time they can meet up, get to know each other and possibly belong to each other. Again, it’s another nine years late, so they are both older and maybe ready for a partner. Fate? Maybe. Maybe not.
Will has an amazing best friend named Fee and she was lovely to read. I liked the epilogue, as a cute and romantic way to end. It’s got some funny and a little sad but mostly it’s romantic.
February 25, 2018
***"The Man That Got Away"***
We meet Will & Rob, both 18 years old, celebrating their last day in their home town and taking off to different (big) cities to start their college life.
The book is told in three chapters, each depicting the moment they see each other
Chapter 1: 1992, 18 years graduating High School anxiously starting University
Chapter 2: 2001, 27 years and back home for the wedding of mutual friends
Chapter 3: 2010, 36 years when they meet again in a gay bar.
The story is told entirely from Will's POV so we know he fell in love with Rob when he was just sixteen. As the story progress we gather that Rob too had a fierce attraction towards Will, but living in a small town with small minded people and parents coming out was not an option. And through the years there somehow was never a moment to explore their feelings.
Both Will and Rob were likeable characters with obvious chemistry, and it frustrated me that they could not be open and honest towards each other.
It may have taken us twenty years to get together, but it only took me a minute—no, a moment—to fall in love with him.
I do hope the author will treat us to an extended epilogue, because I really would like to have a glimpse in their lives together.
July 4, 2014
This book is a cute, enjoyable read. The subject isn't too heavy and there isn't a lot of drama, which makes it a very light books which is easy to get through.
The blurb of the book is a bit misleading, though. It says: 'Every few years, Will Hardwicke runs into Rob Cunningham'. Throughout the book they meet 2 times after high school. The first time 9 years after school, the second time 18 years after school which is also the moment they get together. So I expected a lot of cute random moments in which they would meet, so was disappointed when it wasn't like that.
The blurb of the book is a bit misleading, though. It says: 'Every few years, Will Hardwicke runs into Rob Cunningham'. Throughout the book they meet 2 times after high school. The first time 9 years after school, the second time 18 years after school which is also the moment they get together. So I expected a lot of cute random moments in which they would meet, so was disappointed when it wasn't like that.
January 17, 2013
3-3.5 star for me. I enjoyed this...love how the years went on and the timing was just off for one of the two, until finally the timing was perfect. Good writing And fun characters.
February 1, 2013
4.25 to 4.5 stars
February 10, 2013
Delightfully sweet. I loved this story.
March 13, 2013
I wish it was longer, and the story fully fleshed-out.
Full Review:
http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...
Full Review:
http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...
May 26, 2013
Really lovely book.
August 25, 2016
Loved this, just wish it was longer.
May 14, 2015
Wow they lost 20 years they could've been together because misunderstandings!!!
That's why we better risk it than regret later!!!
That's why we better risk it than regret later!!!
January 17, 2013
4.5 stars. Good short with great characters. Review soon.
May 26, 2013
Just wonderful
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews