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Taking In Strays
Donny had finally come out to his father, hoping for acceptance. His father, the mayor, had cared more about re-election. Donny suddenly finds himself homeless, and on the street with a few dollars to his name. Face first in a gutter, after drowning his sorrows in cheap booze and cheaper sex, Donny is saved by Officer Peter Parker, a straight laced, by the book man who is everything that Donny wasn’t.
At first, Donny tries to use him, just as he had used everyone else in his life, but he soon discovers that he has feelings for Peter. To win Peter’s love, Donny believes that he can change, that he can learn to be the man that Peter deserves. There are obstacles to his goal, though, life itself trying to trip him up and make him revert back to the selfish man that he used to be and a father who will stop at nothing to remove a son who is still too much of an embarrassment.
At first, Donny tries to use him, just as he had used everyone else in his life, but he soon discovers that he has feelings for Peter. To win Peter’s love, Donny believes that he can change, that he can learn to be the man that Peter deserves. There are obstacles to his goal, though, life itself trying to trip him up and make him revert back to the selfish man that he used to be and a father who will stop at nothing to remove a son who is still too much of an embarrassment.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2013
5 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Kracken
27 books17 followersI've been writing m/m since I was twelve. Now that I'm fifty, I think it's a lifetime obsession. ^_^
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 10, 2014
I wanted to care and at some point I did but all happened too fast for me to really enjoy it. I wasn't really able to feel for any of the characters, it all felt superficial. I liked the story for its plot but it really needed to be flushed out more. so many things were introduced that never got to take root.
May 20, 2013
2.5 stars. Not bad but lacking in any real emotional depth. No chemistry at all. :(
February 20, 2015
I got this from the author in this year's HAHAT event.
In the story, Donny a spoiled kid (he's22 but still young) of privilege, is thrown out of his home by his homophobic father. I liked that we started the story in the gutter with Donny, he was a whinny spoiled kid, thinking how he could play the situation when he first met Peter - though reality crashes around him the next day. It was an almost comical lurching from one near arrest to another. Donny soon has to grow up in a tough world where he has to work and live in less than surroundings. Whilst there are others around Donny, helping him be a better person, it is almost a one MC story, as I found the other characters very much in the back ground.
I really liked the story, got emotionally involved with it but had some issues with the execution which left me conflicted a bit as to how to rate. I felt that the characters were a bit flat, introduced as are with no background and build up. I appreciate that Peter is there as the Good Man, and he was, but I felt he was a bit of a shadow and came across to me as almost simple, probably through lack of build up to his history. Also the bad boy Stone, put in as a foil to show Donny what he had been, didnt have that evil, bad boy vibe really. There were a couple of dangling threads that at the end, I thought 'what happened to x'.
So, if I had a sliding scale, the story would rate 3.5 - 4 for story, 3 for execution. An interesting tale of bad boy making good or himself and others.
In the story, Donny a spoiled kid (he's22 but still young) of privilege, is thrown out of his home by his homophobic father. I liked that we started the story in the gutter with Donny, he was a whinny spoiled kid, thinking how he could play the situation when he first met Peter - though reality crashes around him the next day. It was an almost comical lurching from one near arrest to another. Donny soon has to grow up in a tough world where he has to work and live in less than surroundings. Whilst there are others around Donny, helping him be a better person, it is almost a one MC story, as I found the other characters very much in the back ground.
I really liked the story, got emotionally involved with it but had some issues with the execution which left me conflicted a bit as to how to rate. I felt that the characters were a bit flat, introduced as are with no background and build up. I appreciate that Peter is there as the Good Man, and he was, but I felt he was a bit of a shadow and came across to me as almost simple, probably through lack of build up to his history. Also the bad boy Stone, put in as a foil to show Donny what he had been, didnt have that evil, bad boy vibe really. There were a couple of dangling threads that at the end, I thought 'what happened to x'.
So, if I had a sliding scale, the story would rate 3.5 - 4 for story, 3 for execution. An interesting tale of bad boy making good or himself and others.
August 25, 2014
**3.5 stars***
Police officer Peter and his partner find the spoiled, rich, Mayors son, Donny face down in the gutter. He is drunk and reeks of back alley sex. Donny has just come out to his father, and was thrown out and disowned. Peter takes him home to let him sober up. The next day, Donny leaves only to discover his father has cut off his phone and credit cards. He is now broke, homeless and broken. Peter takes him back in, and Peters brother Dan helps secure him a job and a place to live.
From the cover, the blurb, and the 1st few chapters I thought for sure I knew where this book was headed. I was so wrong. This is not your typical m/m romance. This is very much Donny's story of rebuilding his self esteem, making himself a better person and getting his life together. The relationship with Peter takes a way back.. Back seat. He does all this to be good enough for Peter, and yes he gets the guy in the end of course. Peter is not in much of the book. There isn't any chemistry between them, because there aren't really many scenes with the two of them. We aren't given a chance to see them build a relationship. They meet, are together a couple of days then, have one date that we get to see, then BAM they are in love and living HEA.
The authors writing is good, some of the obstacles Donny faces are a bit far fetched. I was just disappointed that the book did not focus more on Donny and Peter.
June 7, 2014
I happily won of copy of this book by taking part in the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
Donny. Such an intriguing character from the beginning- his hard luck made me want to see him succeed. With his early run-in with cops, I felt sympathy for him. I enjoyed the way the author introduced us to Peter and Dan as they tried to help Donny, although I often wanted to punch Dan for what I read as moralizing at Donny. The drama and romance had me reading without stop! I loved the ending and would be ever so happy if the author would do a part two with the lovebirds, Donny and Peter. I didn't even mind that there wasn't much sexual activity until the end of the book, but book 2? :D
Donny. Such an intriguing character from the beginning- his hard luck made me want to see him succeed. With his early run-in with cops, I felt sympathy for him. I enjoyed the way the author introduced us to Peter and Dan as they tried to help Donny, although I often wanted to punch Dan for what I read as moralizing at Donny. The drama and romance had me reading without stop! I loved the ending and would be ever so happy if the author would do a part two with the lovebirds, Donny and Peter. I didn't even mind that there wasn't much sexual activity until the end of the book, but book 2? :D
August 12, 2014
Taking in Strays was not what I expected. It started out gritty and fast, but for some reason, the entire book just felt comforting to me, rather soothing. I wish I could explain why, but I’m not entirely certain. I just know that every time I sat down to read it, I wound up fully relaxed and greatly enjoying the nuances of Kracken’s writing. I love that not every lead was tied up neatly at the end, that there were sacrifices that needed to be made, and that, at it’s core, Strays was a story about being good/genuine, finding inner strength/worth, and overcoming obstacles while accepting help. Very, very enjoyable read!
December 13, 2015
Wish I could make this 10 stars instead
For me, this book got it right from the get go with an awesome book cover. Inside, I was not disappointed. Told in third person through Donny's eyes, I was hooked from the beginning. Have a box of tissues ready. I will definitely checkout more books from this author. Wow!
For me, this book got it right from the get go with an awesome book cover. Inside, I was not disappointed. Told in third person through Donny's eyes, I was hooked from the beginning. Have a box of tissues ready. I will definitely checkout more books from this author. Wow!
February 4, 2013
3 stars. Interesting story, cop takes in spoiled and suddenly homeless Donny. Story is mostly showing how Donny grows up and learns how to be independent. My issue was that I wanted more romance in it.
February 11, 2013
This is such a cute book .
May 4, 2013
I should have read reviews first. I was ok with this book until the end. I hate when authors go with a stereotypical big red bow or a cliche.
June 30, 2013
One of the few "erotic" books I have read that is more romance than erotic. But when the heroes do finally have sex the scenes are to graphic for the romance genre.
August 17, 2016
A little too light on Peter's character, he wasn't developed at all.
October 14, 2016
3,75stars
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews