What do you think?
Rate this book
Exposed
After years of running from a traumatic secret, young journalist Rafe Quintero is making his way in the world alone. Now that he’s landed a job at a Miami newspaper, he’s hungry for success. His goal? A blistering exposé on closeted PGA golfer Daniel Andrews. Rafe will stop at nothing to get the scoop—even if it means going undercover on Daniel’s private yacht.
Daniel is used to being in the spotlight, but his reputation for being cold and unfriendly hasn’t made him very popular. Still reeling from his mother’s death and his ex-boyfriend’s engagement, he hides out on his yacht to escape the press hounding his every step. His instant attraction to Rafe, his new crew member, is a problem he can't ignore.
When Rafe and Daniel begin a steamy affair, Rafe knows it’s only a matter of time before Daniel discovers his betrayal. Now he has to choose: confess and hope Daniel can swallow his pride and forgive him, or put his ambition ahead of his heart and follow the story
Daniel is used to being in the spotlight, but his reputation for being cold and unfriendly hasn’t made him very popular. Still reeling from his mother’s death and his ex-boyfriend’s engagement, he hides out on his yacht to escape the press hounding his every step. His instant attraction to Rafe, his new crew member, is a problem he can't ignore.
When Rafe and Daniel begin a steamy affair, Rafe knows it’s only a matter of time before Daniel discovers his betrayal. Now he has to choose: confess and hope Daniel can swallow his pride and forgive him, or put his ambition ahead of his heart and follow the story
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2013
23 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Skylar M. Cates
30 books298 followersSkylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is happy to drink coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Her novels feature strong and passionate men. Skylar loves to craft stories where realistic characters are challenged with emotional situations. Although lately the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar loves to chat with folks from all around the globe.
Please feel free to follow Skylar on other social media.
links:
https://twitter.com/SkylarMCates
https://www.facebook.com/skylar.cates
Newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/cxODzT
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
January 30, 2015
4.5 stars
I waited so long to read this book, but I finally got to it because I loved Cates' The Guy , series and let me tell you, I do not regret it!
This book was GOOD: insanely smexy, romantic, with some unexpected sweet moments and enough angst (secrets! betrayal!) to keep me riveted.
Disclaimer: I am not much for watching sports, and golf is on the bottom of my list, but there's really no golf in this story.
Daniel is a PGA pro who abruptly walks off the course in the midst of a very successful career. Rafe, a tough former foster kid from a Cuban family, is a reporter trying to get the scoop of a lifetime.
Pretending to be a college student, Rafe lies his way onto Daniels's yacht. Rafe never expects Daniel to be so caring or loving, so damn real and dominant.
The writing is stellar, and the sex. Dear god. The sex. SO FUCKING HAWT, peeps, SO, SO hawt.
But there is plot a plenty, too; no crazy drama but a lingering tension, a separation, tons of desire and feels.
Plus: a one-eyed, spoiled cat.
Rafe is so determined to "out" Daniel, he never feels himself fall. The way Rafe's secret comes out is all wrong. But is there ever a right way to tell someone you've been using them?
Maybe Daniel forgives too easily, but as his sister tells him: Forgiveness isn't on schedule.
The dual POV made this story accessible. There was so much passion between the MCs, so much lust and love. This was a very satisfying read with a nice HEA.
I waited so long to read this book, but I finally got to it because I loved Cates' The Guy , series and let me tell you, I do not regret it!
This book was GOOD: insanely smexy, romantic, with some unexpected sweet moments and enough angst (secrets! betrayal!) to keep me riveted.
Disclaimer: I am not much for watching sports, and golf is on the bottom of my list, but there's really no golf in this story.
Daniel is a PGA pro who abruptly walks off the course in the midst of a very successful career. Rafe, a tough former foster kid from a Cuban family, is a reporter trying to get the scoop of a lifetime.
Pretending to be a college student, Rafe lies his way onto Daniels's yacht. Rafe never expects Daniel to be so caring or loving, so damn real and dominant.
The writing is stellar, and the sex. Dear god. The sex. SO FUCKING HAWT, peeps, SO, SO hawt.
But there is plot a plenty, too; no crazy drama but a lingering tension, a separation, tons of desire and feels.
Plus: a one-eyed, spoiled cat.
Rafe is so determined to "out" Daniel, he never feels himself fall. The way Rafe's secret comes out is all wrong. But is there ever a right way to tell someone you've been using them?
Maybe Daniel forgives too easily, but as his sister tells him: Forgiveness isn't on schedule.
The dual POV made this story accessible. There was so much passion between the MCs, so much lust and love. This was a very satisfying read with a nice HEA.
May 11, 2015
3.5 Stars!
I was kind of left feeling pretty unimpressed with this one!
It started off decent. Rafe is a reporter trying to expose the big story on Daniel, the closeted PGA golfer that walked off the grass during his last tournament.
I just never felt the love between Rafe and Daniel.
Honestly, the whole thing was just one big disaster waiting to happen. I mean there is no way Rafe can get away with Daniel not finding out his reasons for being on the yacht....no matter how hot the sex is. So it was no big surprise when it all came out.
Still...
....I was annoyed and angry!
I felt like it was mostly just sex between Rafe and Daniel....which don't get me wrong, was HOT! And plentiful.
But I needed more. More tension. More build-up. More relationship. More feelings. More something.
In the end it was just meh for me!
I was kind of left feeling pretty unimpressed with this one!
It started off decent. Rafe is a reporter trying to expose the big story on Daniel, the closeted PGA golfer that walked off the grass during his last tournament.
I just never felt the love between Rafe and Daniel.
Honestly, the whole thing was just one big disaster waiting to happen. I mean there is no way Rafe can get away with Daniel not finding out his reasons for being on the yacht....no matter how hot the sex is. So it was no big surprise when it all came out.
Still...
....I was annoyed and angry!
I felt like it was mostly just sex between Rafe and Daniel....which don't get me wrong, was HOT! And plentiful.
But I needed more. More tension. More build-up. More relationship. More feelings. More something.
In the end it was just meh for me!
March 11, 2016
I had a hard time connecting to these characters. They both struck me as assholes in their own individual ways. This one just didn't do it for me.
December 28, 2014
2.5 stars
I am glad that I read this book after Cates's "The Guy" series because I am completely not impressed with this one -- and I imagine if this was my first experience with Skylar M. Cates, I might not even bother to check out her future stories.
Exposed was choc full of clichés -- from the abusive dad/sad background story to the casual bigot/female villain. Not to mention that I thought the sex scenes were too much and overdone, without having significant role to improve the storyline. Even the dialogs during the sex were cringe-worthy. To me, the sex scenes were like bad decorations of an already boring living room. I mostly skimmed them. The whole drama was also predictable -- it was lack of conflict, despite Rafe falling in love with his 'mark' when he was doing the job. We could easily foresee the outcome regarding Rafe's story.
I had to agree with my friend, Simsala, who said "1000 m/m stories earlier I would have enjoyed it much more". If I read this 5-6 years ago, when I haven't read over 2500 m/m stories, I would've probably enjoyed it. These days however, barring the one-eyed cat named Romeo (whom I thought needed more scenes!), this story didn't stand out and completely forgettable by the end of the day.
I am glad that I read this book after Cates's "The Guy" series because I am completely not impressed with this one -- and I imagine if this was my first experience with Skylar M. Cates, I might not even bother to check out her future stories.
Exposed was choc full of clichés -- from the abusive dad/sad background story to the casual bigot/female villain. Not to mention that I thought the sex scenes were too much and overdone, without having significant role to improve the storyline. Even the dialogs during the sex were cringe-worthy. To me, the sex scenes were like bad decorations of an already boring living room. I mostly skimmed them. The whole drama was also predictable -- it was lack of conflict, despite Rafe falling in love with his 'mark' when he was doing the job. We could easily foresee the outcome regarding Rafe's story.
I had to agree with my friend, Simsala, who said "1000 m/m stories earlier I would have enjoyed it much more". If I read this 5-6 years ago, when I haven't read over 2500 m/m stories, I would've probably enjoyed it. These days however, barring the one-eyed cat named Romeo (whom I thought needed more scenes!), this story didn't stand out and completely forgettable by the end of the day.
March 4, 2013
To be fair - 1000 m/m stories earlier I would have enjoyed it much more.
Surprisingly conflict free story about a gay pro-golfer - not a single golf ball played by the way - and a wannabe reporter striving for success.
This could have been a great story if Rafe - the reporter - had pulled his job through. Of course he didn`t - wrong profession, my dear - because he fell in love with his target.
Calling this a story of betrayal and forgiveness is a bit of a stretch - a job is a job - just unnecessary drama as a wobbly story-frame around erotic content with characters heavily leaning to m/f stereotypes.
Might work as an erotic romance-only if one likes the sex-scenes but that`s a taste thing and it wasn`t mine.
The story was a disappointment.
Surprisingly conflict free story about a gay pro-golfer - not a single golf ball played by the way - and a wannabe reporter striving for success.
This could have been a great story if Rafe - the reporter - had pulled his job through. Of course he didn`t - wrong profession, my dear - because he fell in love with his target.
Calling this a story of betrayal and forgiveness is a bit of a stretch - a job is a job - just unnecessary drama as a wobbly story-frame around erotic content with characters heavily leaning to m/f stereotypes.
Might work as an erotic romance-only if one likes the sex-scenes but that`s a taste thing and it wasn`t mine.
The story was a disappointment.
December 27, 2014
Why I didn't like this book:
It's way too predictable, has series case of insta-love and a overly perfect hero who rescues cats. Also it's mostly just porn.
Favorite quote:“More! Stuff me full.” LOL!
It's way too predictable, has series case of insta-love and a overly perfect hero who rescues cats. Also it's mostly just porn.
Favorite quote:“More! Stuff me full.” LOL!
February 24, 2015
I really enjoyed this novel. It was one of those I think you will either love it (like I did) or hate it. This story is basically about two characters who meet and fall in love because of a lie and their relationship is put in danger and the aftermath of the reveal of the secret. It was not a big shocking story, it was simple enough in a lot of ways, but highly enjoyable.
Rafe and Daniel for me were total opposites. Rafe was out and proud and had lost a lot of family in his short life. Daniel was closeted and although he had his reasons they weren't the most propelling reasons. I did love the pair as a couple though. They had chemistry and there was just something that drew me to the story.
The sport did not overtake the story. I am clueless when it comes to golf and not really interested, but it didn't take from me enjoying this story. When golf was mentioned, I was able to stay with the story and I didn't lose interest, which could easily have happened. The journalism part was more interesting for me. I always love stories that have a journalist falling for a celebrity. They make for a great read.
Overall, I would say this was a great read. I would love to read it again some day and I think I will enjoy it just as much. The characters and the plot was what drew me into the story and in the end I was sad when it finished. Honestly, I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good contemporary read, a book with an celebrity MC or just looking for a good read in general.
Rafe and Daniel for me were total opposites. Rafe was out and proud and had lost a lot of family in his short life. Daniel was closeted and although he had his reasons they weren't the most propelling reasons. I did love the pair as a couple though. They had chemistry and there was just something that drew me to the story.
The sport did not overtake the story. I am clueless when it comes to golf and not really interested, but it didn't take from me enjoying this story. When golf was mentioned, I was able to stay with the story and I didn't lose interest, which could easily have happened. The journalism part was more interesting for me. I always love stories that have a journalist falling for a celebrity. They make for a great read.
Overall, I would say this was a great read. I would love to read it again some day and I think I will enjoy it just as much. The characters and the plot was what drew me into the story and in the end I was sad when it finished. Honestly, I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good contemporary read, a book with an celebrity MC or just looking for a good read in general.
May 11, 2015
3.5 Stars
July 24, 2020
Exposed by Skylar Cates is the story about a closeted golf player who walks off the course, and the reporter determined to get his story.
This story had:
-Romance
-Plenty of steam
-Dual POVs
-A cute furbaby
-Cates was able to make me like a character I wasn't sure I could like.
All in all, Exposed is a solid read.
4 Stars
This story had:
-Romance
-Plenty of steam
-Dual POVs
-A cute furbaby
-Cates was able to make me like a character I wasn't sure I could like.
All in all, Exposed is a solid read.
4 Stars
March 1, 2013
4.5 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Have you ever felt that you want to inhale a book from page one? I have on few occasions and this is one of those books. With a very powerful start Exposed keeps building and building the intensity until you literally can’t take it anymore and beg for a let out.
It starts with an incredible insight of Rafe and his personality. Rafael the hurricane, as I kept thinking of him, always running head first toward his goal, demanding and full on emotion. A hungry journalist who is tired of having his pieces taken away literally grabs his final chance for making it big for himself.
The Idea behind the story is quite the stereotype; the undercover reporter going for his famous mark, trying to worm himself to some confidentiality and make the story of his life. And of course he blows it all up by falling for said mark.
Yet there is nothing stereotypical about this book. It was a very well written piece that has you on your toes and keeps pulling your chain to follow almost blindly this intoxicating love story.
It is a wild ride seeing Rafe playing undercover, yet in order to make his background story believable he uses his real name, his real private past up until the day he changed them. It is almost heartbreaking seeing him rushing toward his goal and not understanding the danger his puts his heart in. After so many years of being alone, not wanted and uncared it wasn’t a big shock that he fell prey at Daniel’s caring and soothing character.
And Daniel, while he is no match for Rafael’s exuberance and energetic character, he is a very attracting one himself. Born in wealth his life might have been smooth yet no less needy and in Rafael he finds that spark of life he never knew was missing. Their time together in the yacht is a hard and fast buildup of tension and emotion until it all comes crashing down with an even bigger bam.
As I said everything about this book is a huge build up and when things came crashing I almost expected for things to slow down a bit and the story to lose intensity since you could see where it went. It didn’t happen, on the contrary after it deluded you with some short shallow breaths the story picked up pace once again and the sensation of having your heart beating wildly never let up until it was over. Kudos to the author for making that happen.
And for my favorite part I’m going to attack those intimate scenes I so much love. I think our dear author must be seriously into mind games and control, because that is exactly what I felt reading our guys’ scenes. Daniel being the cool type he was and Rafael the utterly emotional type with the great responsiveness were bound to drive me crazy. Playing the virgin part Rafael had it coming for himself though and loving making his crazy with want and need David literally tortured him with the slow lead. In the end of their first time together even I was screaming inside my head for that damn release. It is so very rare that some characters will reach and affect you as much as these two did. I felt as if I was the one taking part in there, as if I was in there, in that room and being tortured by sensations myself. I admit though that while I loved those scenes toward the end I got a bit inpatient with them. Really, it is not nice keeping people waiting that much. Ah who am I kidding…
What else is there to say about Exposed… Nothing beside take it up and read it… Now!
Thommie
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Have you ever felt that you want to inhale a book from page one? I have on few occasions and this is one of those books. With a very powerful start Exposed keeps building and building the intensity until you literally can’t take it anymore and beg for a let out.
It starts with an incredible insight of Rafe and his personality. Rafael the hurricane, as I kept thinking of him, always running head first toward his goal, demanding and full on emotion. A hungry journalist who is tired of having his pieces taken away literally grabs his final chance for making it big for himself.
The Idea behind the story is quite the stereotype; the undercover reporter going for his famous mark, trying to worm himself to some confidentiality and make the story of his life. And of course he blows it all up by falling for said mark.
Yet there is nothing stereotypical about this book. It was a very well written piece that has you on your toes and keeps pulling your chain to follow almost blindly this intoxicating love story.
It is a wild ride seeing Rafe playing undercover, yet in order to make his background story believable he uses his real name, his real private past up until the day he changed them. It is almost heartbreaking seeing him rushing toward his goal and not understanding the danger his puts his heart in. After so many years of being alone, not wanted and uncared it wasn’t a big shock that he fell prey at Daniel’s caring and soothing character.
And Daniel, while he is no match for Rafael’s exuberance and energetic character, he is a very attracting one himself. Born in wealth his life might have been smooth yet no less needy and in Rafael he finds that spark of life he never knew was missing. Their time together in the yacht is a hard and fast buildup of tension and emotion until it all comes crashing down with an even bigger bam.
As I said everything about this book is a huge build up and when things came crashing I almost expected for things to slow down a bit and the story to lose intensity since you could see where it went. It didn’t happen, on the contrary after it deluded you with some short shallow breaths the story picked up pace once again and the sensation of having your heart beating wildly never let up until it was over. Kudos to the author for making that happen.
And for my favorite part I’m going to attack those intimate scenes I so much love. I think our dear author must be seriously into mind games and control, because that is exactly what I felt reading our guys’ scenes. Daniel being the cool type he was and Rafael the utterly emotional type with the great responsiveness were bound to drive me crazy. Playing the virgin part Rafael had it coming for himself though and loving making his crazy with want and need David literally tortured him with the slow lead. In the end of their first time together even I was screaming inside my head for that damn release. It is so very rare that some characters will reach and affect you as much as these two did. I felt as if I was the one taking part in there, as if I was in there, in that room and being tortured by sensations myself. I admit though that while I loved those scenes toward the end I got a bit inpatient with them. Really, it is not nice keeping people waiting that much. Ah who am I kidding…
What else is there to say about Exposed… Nothing beside take it up and read it… Now!
Thommie
July 23, 2020
Skylar M. Cates is a fellow former Dreamspinner Press author, so I was thrilled to read her recently re-released novel Exposed. While we were DSP sisters for a brief period, I’ve never had the pleasure of reading anything by Ms. Cates, and this was a delightful first read. I’ll definitely be adding her to my list of authors to keep an eye on!
The main premise of this story is trope-filled and cliché, but Cates does a good job of balancing what could easily be an over-the-top idea with well-rounded character building and some seriously steamy sex scenes. Did I mention the sex was hot, because… whoa boy. It’s on fire. 🔥🔥🔥
Rafe is a hungry reporter looking to snag himself a story that’ll be big enough to win him the respect he’d due. He aims to achieve that by exposing big time celebrity golfer Daniel, who just happens to be closeted. So when Rafe sneaks onto Daniel’s boat set for the Caribbean, you can guess what happens next. The two fall into an insta-lust situation that gets seriously hot and heavy with a quickness. Which, of course, means Rafe is now faced with deciding between his job and his relationship with Daniel.
Yes, you can predict how the story plays out, but as I’ve said a hundred times before and will say a hundred times again, tropes are tropes for a reason. They work.
I would recommend this to romance lovers, but most especially those who like high-heat, mild angst, and find comfort in the predictability of trope-guided plots. It’s an enjoyably quick read and would make for an excellent time-passer for anyone looking for a light weight standalone. 💕
The main premise of this story is trope-filled and cliché, but Cates does a good job of balancing what could easily be an over-the-top idea with well-rounded character building and some seriously steamy sex scenes. Did I mention the sex was hot, because… whoa boy. It’s on fire. 🔥🔥🔥
Rafe is a hungry reporter looking to snag himself a story that’ll be big enough to win him the respect he’d due. He aims to achieve that by exposing big time celebrity golfer Daniel, who just happens to be closeted. So when Rafe sneaks onto Daniel’s boat set for the Caribbean, you can guess what happens next. The two fall into an insta-lust situation that gets seriously hot and heavy with a quickness. Which, of course, means Rafe is now faced with deciding between his job and his relationship with Daniel.
Yes, you can predict how the story plays out, but as I’ve said a hundred times before and will say a hundred times again, tropes are tropes for a reason. They work.
I would recommend this to romance lovers, but most especially those who like high-heat, mild angst, and find comfort in the predictability of trope-guided plots. It’s an enjoyably quick read and would make for an excellent time-passer for anyone looking for a light weight standalone. 💕
March 1, 2013
4.5 stars
I knew the minute I read this blurb I had to read this book. I love to read sports themed books and this one had the added bonus of the, also gay, reporter trying to “out” the closeted gay athlete! Oh, AND they’re trapped on a boat together! That practically screamed conflict and sexual tension to me. Anyway, this book absolutely lived up to my excitement. It was smoking hot. Damn!!!! The author was new to me and BTW, I’m thinking somebodyloves rimming…..
Rafe has a bit of a troubled past. He’s been on his own for a while and he doesn’t need anybody. In fact he tends to drive people away with his harsh attitude. Not that he cares because people can’t be trusted. His only real friend is Hector. Hector feeds Rafe some inside information and gets him a job on the yacht of Daniel Andrews, the pro golfer who disappeared from the public eye after walking off the course in the middle of tournament. Getting the scoop on why Daniel left and if it has anything to do with the rumors he’s gay would be the break of a lifetime. Rafe needs this. He’s a good reporter and he’s tired of paying his dues. This is his chance to build a name for himself and Rafe will do ANYTHING to get his story.
Daniel isn’t the trusting sort, like a lot of celebrities would be if they found a stranger sleeping on their yacht one morning. He doesn’t believe the kids story of being the new guy on the crew. He does feel an instant attraction. One like he’s never felt before. His suspicion of the kid leads him to be snappish and rude but Rafe gives it right back intriguing Daniel even more. The two do their best to resist the attraction they feel all while Rafe is digging for his story. Rafe is so determined to get Daniel to admit he’s gay he practically begs Daniel to jump him with his lip licking and wry smiles. Both men give in and you can feel the passion and the inevitable doom set in. As the story goes along you start to fall in love right along with Daniel and Rafe but know the dubious nature Rafe started their relationship with set it up to fail from the first kiss. There’s no escaping what Rafe has done and it’s going to break both of their hearts.
I really enjoyed this book. Almost from the moment you start it you know how it’s going to play out but you get so lost in the passion and swept up in the romance. The anticipation of the moment Daniel finds out keeps you on edge. Knowing it didn’t take anything away from the story. It was excellent! Now, OMG this story was smoking hot! Daniel is so dominant and toppy in the bedroom and Rafe loves it. There is a lot of sex but keeping their relationship secret leaves them rendezvousing privately to be together, which just adds that desperate element to the sex. Also, thinking they only have a few weeks at sea makes their time limited. They make the most of the time they can spend together by doing what they want to do. Have lots of sex! It wasn’t just sex. The connection the guys had seemed real and I was absolutely rooting for them. I recommend this book and will be checking out whatever the author writes next.
Review can also be seen at http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpre...
I knew the minute I read this blurb I had to read this book. I love to read sports themed books and this one had the added bonus of the, also gay, reporter trying to “out” the closeted gay athlete! Oh, AND they’re trapped on a boat together! That practically screamed conflict and sexual tension to me. Anyway, this book absolutely lived up to my excitement. It was smoking hot. Damn!!!! The author was new to me and BTW, I’m thinking somebodyloves rimming…..
Rafe has a bit of a troubled past. He’s been on his own for a while and he doesn’t need anybody. In fact he tends to drive people away with his harsh attitude. Not that he cares because people can’t be trusted. His only real friend is Hector. Hector feeds Rafe some inside information and gets him a job on the yacht of Daniel Andrews, the pro golfer who disappeared from the public eye after walking off the course in the middle of tournament. Getting the scoop on why Daniel left and if it has anything to do with the rumors he’s gay would be the break of a lifetime. Rafe needs this. He’s a good reporter and he’s tired of paying his dues. This is his chance to build a name for himself and Rafe will do ANYTHING to get his story.
Daniel isn’t the trusting sort, like a lot of celebrities would be if they found a stranger sleeping on their yacht one morning. He doesn’t believe the kids story of being the new guy on the crew. He does feel an instant attraction. One like he’s never felt before. His suspicion of the kid leads him to be snappish and rude but Rafe gives it right back intriguing Daniel even more. The two do their best to resist the attraction they feel all while Rafe is digging for his story. Rafe is so determined to get Daniel to admit he’s gay he practically begs Daniel to jump him with his lip licking and wry smiles. Both men give in and you can feel the passion and the inevitable doom set in. As the story goes along you start to fall in love right along with Daniel and Rafe but know the dubious nature Rafe started their relationship with set it up to fail from the first kiss. There’s no escaping what Rafe has done and it’s going to break both of their hearts.
I really enjoyed this book. Almost from the moment you start it you know how it’s going to play out but you get so lost in the passion and swept up in the romance. The anticipation of the moment Daniel finds out keeps you on edge. Knowing it didn’t take anything away from the story. It was excellent! Now, OMG this story was smoking hot! Daniel is so dominant and toppy in the bedroom and Rafe loves it. There is a lot of sex but keeping their relationship secret leaves them rendezvousing privately to be together, which just adds that desperate element to the sex. Also, thinking they only have a few weeks at sea makes their time limited. They make the most of the time they can spend together by doing what they want to do. Have lots of sex! It wasn’t just sex. The connection the guys had seemed real and I was absolutely rooting for them. I recommend this book and will be checking out whatever the author writes next.
Review can also be seen at http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpre...
March 3, 2013
I have to agree with the other readers in this site -- "Exposed" is simply a terrific book. No ifs, ands, or buts. Skylar Cates is a new author who has put her heart and soul into this novel to develop believable characters in a fantastic story.
Very briefly, here are the basics of the story -- Rafe works for a newspaper in southern Florida. He pitches an idea to his editor to "out" the present PGA professional golf phenom, Daniel. After a lot of back and forth, the editor allows Rafe to do the story. Rafe finds his way onto Daniel's yacht as a deck hand, but it is clear that there is electricity between Rafe and Daniel from the moment that they meet.
Of course, the conflict becomes whether Rafe will continue to report the story once he falls in love with Daniel.
There are a few twists and turns in the book that make it a real page turner. I agree with all of the reviewers that have said that, "I couldn't put this book down." It was simply that well written and compelling.
I am wondering if any other reader will question whether Rafe should have left a draft of his newspaper article about Daniel on a laptop that was out in the open and available to any crew member who found it. (If Rafe really wanted to cover his tracks about writing the news story and keep it secret, he cold have typed it as a journal on his computer -- "Dear Diary, Today, I fell in love with Daniel and he made mad, passionate love to me." That sort of thing. It would have kept track of everything that happened on the cruise without Rafe having to admit he was an undercover reporter. -- Just a thought.)
This author seems to really know how to write a romance. Imagine an older movie where the two star-crossed lovers are running towards each other on a beach and finally embrace for a long-awaited kiss. I had that feeling about this book -- this is a real love story that can warm even the coldest of hearts!
Rarely are characters in a romance novel as compelling as the two lead characters here. Also, the supporting characters are sufficiently developed so we can understand the motivation for everything they do. Bravo to the author.
Sometimes readers wish for a sequel because the setting of the book is good, or the author has a nice formula for writing, but, this story is different. Yes, undoubtedly this author can write one heck of a story, but it goes much further than that. Imagine "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", a behind the scenes view of the PGA golf tour, two beautiful and complicated main characters, incredibly passionate romance scenes, and an author who has put together a book with little teasers for a sequel (without bashing the reader over the head, i.e. what can be done by Rafe to save his mother and brother from their tortured life or what can Daniel do with his life after golf) -- All we can do is hope that Ms. Cates will continue her development of these characters in another book so some of the remaining questions can be answered.
There is no rating possible for this glorious novel other than 5 stars!
Very briefly, here are the basics of the story -- Rafe works for a newspaper in southern Florida. He pitches an idea to his editor to "out" the present PGA professional golf phenom, Daniel. After a lot of back and forth, the editor allows Rafe to do the story. Rafe finds his way onto Daniel's yacht as a deck hand, but it is clear that there is electricity between Rafe and Daniel from the moment that they meet.
Of course, the conflict becomes whether Rafe will continue to report the story once he falls in love with Daniel.
There are a few twists and turns in the book that make it a real page turner. I agree with all of the reviewers that have said that, "I couldn't put this book down." It was simply that well written and compelling.
I am wondering if any other reader will question whether Rafe should have left a draft of his newspaper article about Daniel on a laptop that was out in the open and available to any crew member who found it. (If Rafe really wanted to cover his tracks about writing the news story and keep it secret, he cold have typed it as a journal on his computer -- "Dear Diary, Today, I fell in love with Daniel and he made mad, passionate love to me." That sort of thing. It would have kept track of everything that happened on the cruise without Rafe having to admit he was an undercover reporter. -- Just a thought.)
This author seems to really know how to write a romance. Imagine an older movie where the two star-crossed lovers are running towards each other on a beach and finally embrace for a long-awaited kiss. I had that feeling about this book -- this is a real love story that can warm even the coldest of hearts!
Rarely are characters in a romance novel as compelling as the two lead characters here. Also, the supporting characters are sufficiently developed so we can understand the motivation for everything they do. Bravo to the author.
Sometimes readers wish for a sequel because the setting of the book is good, or the author has a nice formula for writing, but, this story is different. Yes, undoubtedly this author can write one heck of a story, but it goes much further than that. Imagine "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", a behind the scenes view of the PGA golf tour, two beautiful and complicated main characters, incredibly passionate romance scenes, and an author who has put together a book with little teasers for a sequel (without bashing the reader over the head, i.e. what can be done by Rafe to save his mother and brother from their tortured life or what can Daniel do with his life after golf) -- All we can do is hope that Ms. Cates will continue her development of these characters in another book so some of the remaining questions can be answered.
There is no rating possible for this glorious novel other than 5 stars!
September 15, 2013
Rafe, the journalist out to make his name and Daniel, a closeted PGA golfer. Oh, what a great combination!
Rafe manages to secure himself a job on the yacht where Daniel is hiding out. He is determined to uncover Daniel's deepest secrets and it looks like things might just be going his way as Daniel is instantly attracted. Unfortunately as he gets to know Daniel, Rafe starts to feel the same way and stops seeing him as the arrogant man he thought he was.
The characters were wonderful and although the plot was a little predictable, it was a great story. The title Exposed was a cute reference to both Rafe trying to get his expose on Daniel and Rafe himself being discovered.
The sex was frequent (I don't think I've read a book with so much ass play!), hot and well written. However I most liked the emotional connection between the men. There were also some really humourous moments, blending with the emotion and drama.
A wonderful story. 4.5 stars!
I now publish all my m/m reviews on my blog so if you want to see all my m/m reviews in one place come visit at Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
Rafe manages to secure himself a job on the yacht where Daniel is hiding out. He is determined to uncover Daniel's deepest secrets and it looks like things might just be going his way as Daniel is instantly attracted. Unfortunately as he gets to know Daniel, Rafe starts to feel the same way and stops seeing him as the arrogant man he thought he was.
The characters were wonderful and although the plot was a little predictable, it was a great story. The title Exposed was a cute reference to both Rafe trying to get his expose on Daniel and Rafe himself being discovered.
The sex was frequent (I don't think I've read a book with so much ass play!), hot and well written. However I most liked the emotional connection between the men. There were also some really humourous moments, blending with the emotion and drama.
A wonderful story. 4.5 stars!
I now publish all my m/m reviews on my blog so if you want to see all my m/m reviews in one place come visit at Because Two Men Are Better Than One!
March 4, 2013
What started out as "I'll just read a few pages" ended with me finishing the book at 4:30 in the morning.
Briefly, the novel is about Rafe, a struggling reporter who goes undercover on a yacht to get close to golf superstar Daniel. What he thinks is going to be an easy story turns out to be a lot more complicated than he thought once he meets Daniel in person.
The fact that this is a debut novel for Skylar M. Cates is impressive. She has created a story with an addictive plot and quite a few you're-going-to-need-a-cold-shower-after-this-one love scenes.
But the real stars of this book are the characters. On their own, they are dynamic and engaging, with rich back stories that make you feel like you truly know them. Together, they are explosive. Right from their first meeting, the chemistry between Rafe and Daniel is intense (and things do certainly get steamy).
I loved this book and would definitely recommend it.
Briefly, the novel is about Rafe, a struggling reporter who goes undercover on a yacht to get close to golf superstar Daniel. What he thinks is going to be an easy story turns out to be a lot more complicated than he thought once he meets Daniel in person.
The fact that this is a debut novel for Skylar M. Cates is impressive. She has created a story with an addictive plot and quite a few you're-going-to-need-a-cold-shower-after-this-one love scenes.
But the real stars of this book are the characters. On their own, they are dynamic and engaging, with rich back stories that make you feel like you truly know them. Together, they are explosive. Right from their first meeting, the chemistry between Rafe and Daniel is intense (and things do certainly get steamy).
I loved this book and would definitely recommend it.
May 9, 2016
3.5 Stars
Basically this was a formulaic, predictable, sweet but melodramatic ordinary contemporary story. It was more interesting than I thought it would be because I was worried there would be a lot of sports talk and there wasn't, and I'm fine with formulaic and melodramatic if it's done well, but ultimately it just wasn't good enough to overshadow the problems it had for me. Although they were mostly minor, the added up to enough that a very sweet story was just pleasant.
The opening scene was interesting since it sounded like it might not be about the guy being gay. I had been willing to accept it was a good story despite my reservations about the sports and it being a contemporary neither of which I particularly like, but the opening was really promising. But then a memory suddenly morphed into a scene from the past without any transition. That kind of thing happened a lot in the book.
I'm someone who is really offended by the way women are portrayed in so many M/M books and this was no exception. The only women on board are the sister and the nanny. Seriously? This isn't a fishing deep water vessel where strength is key (although plenty of women do that, too, just check YouTube), it's a yacht. Just because I like reading about men falling in love and act teh voyeur in their hot sex doesn't mean I'm sexist and don't like women being in a book. I especially don't like that when they are in the book they are put in only traditional roles especially ones that can't easily be replace by men as if the reason women were included was because the author felt he/she had to. Oh, and of course the nanny is the one homophobic person on board. And Hector's wife has him "whipped." That's so offensive. A man can't respect his wife's needs and opinions without being a doormat?
Why are the female authors so much more sexist than the male ones in this genre? It definitely defies the stereotype of the woman hating gay man but emphasizes the perception of it outside the gay community. (I appreciate that heterosexual women are the primary writers and readers of M/M romance, but they aren't part of the gay community as they're not gay. I think when authors like this one have an MC referring to being gay as his "lifestyle" just reinforces that. I don't know a gay person who would refer to it that way. It's not a lifestyle--it's life. It pisses me off when authors have the MCs use that expression.
As usual, there was also too much sex and it was very repetitive. In one long extended sex scene, the same character rimmed the other guy twice and each time it was a big deal. No lie: I found that I'd zoned out and couldn't remember what I'd read. I was thinking about how the Costco I went to yesterday had some coffee flavoring the one near me didn't have. I had looked only at the closer one so I bought them off the Internet for twice as much. Yes, that was more exciting.
Later the sex got more interesting, though the fascination with rimming extensively--multiple times per sexual encounter--never waned, but by then, there had been way too much sex and thus I was still bored.
There was info dumping and then there were long dialog sequences without any description or action, just talking. Even Mary Calmes doesn't have her actionless dialog scenes go on as long as these did.
I did get my hospital scene, though, which made the story a little more enjoyable. I love me them hospital scenes!
The rest of this review except for the last couple of sentences is just observations I made, I admit mostly negative:
When Andrews was challenging him, why didn't he mention the young man who told him to wait? (That will only make sense if you read the story.)
He so would not go out to buy his own cat litter, especially when the press was looking for him.
Ugh. Cropped shirts are so tacky and a polo shirt with swim trunks?
I suck at snorkeling. I always inhale water. I'm impressed he was so great at it his first time...
"Legs crossed Indian style." Cross legged, people. The other makes it sound like its some weird thing only those freaky "Indians" do as if Native Americans were bizarre or something.
Like his computer wouldn't be password protected. TSTL.
A cold doesn't turn into the flu. They're different viruses. Gobs of different viruses. A cold can turn into bronchitis and pneumonia though which would be more fitting to the drama anyway.
There was another possible solution:
So overall, this was a very sweet story but formulaic and predictable.
3.5 stars rounded down because of the sexism and excessive sex.
Basically this was a formulaic, predictable, sweet but melodramatic ordinary contemporary story. It was more interesting than I thought it would be because I was worried there would be a lot of sports talk and there wasn't, and I'm fine with formulaic and melodramatic if it's done well, but ultimately it just wasn't good enough to overshadow the problems it had for me. Although they were mostly minor, the added up to enough that a very sweet story was just pleasant.
The opening scene was interesting since it sounded like it might not be about the guy being gay. I had been willing to accept it was a good story despite my reservations about the sports and it being a contemporary neither of which I particularly like, but the opening was really promising. But then a memory suddenly morphed into a scene from the past without any transition. That kind of thing happened a lot in the book.
I'm someone who is really offended by the way women are portrayed in so many M/M books and this was no exception. The only women on board are the sister and the nanny. Seriously? This isn't a fishing deep water vessel where strength is key (although plenty of women do that, too, just check YouTube), it's a yacht. Just because I like reading about men falling in love and act teh voyeur in their hot sex doesn't mean I'm sexist and don't like women being in a book. I especially don't like that when they are in the book they are put in only traditional roles especially ones that can't easily be replace by men as if the reason women were included was because the author felt he/she had to. Oh, and of course the nanny is the one homophobic person on board. And Hector's wife has him "whipped." That's so offensive. A man can't respect his wife's needs and opinions without being a doormat?
Why are the female authors so much more sexist than the male ones in this genre? It definitely defies the stereotype of the woman hating gay man but emphasizes the perception of it outside the gay community. (I appreciate that heterosexual women are the primary writers and readers of M/M romance, but they aren't part of the gay community as they're not gay. I think when authors like this one have an MC referring to being gay as his "lifestyle" just reinforces that. I don't know a gay person who would refer to it that way. It's not a lifestyle--it's life. It pisses me off when authors have the MCs use that expression.
As usual, there was also too much sex and it was very repetitive. In one long extended sex scene, the same character rimmed the other guy twice and each time it was a big deal. No lie: I found that I'd zoned out and couldn't remember what I'd read. I was thinking about how the Costco I went to yesterday had some coffee flavoring the one near me didn't have. I had looked only at the closer one so I bought them off the Internet for twice as much. Yes, that was more exciting.
Later the sex got more interesting, though the fascination with rimming extensively--multiple times per sexual encounter--never waned, but by then, there had been way too much sex and thus I was still bored.
There was info dumping and then there were long dialog sequences without any description or action, just talking. Even Mary Calmes doesn't have her actionless dialog scenes go on as long as these did.
I did get my hospital scene, though, which made the story a little more enjoyable. I love me them hospital scenes!
The rest of this review except for the last couple of sentences is just observations I made, I admit mostly negative:
When Andrews was challenging him, why didn't he mention the young man who told him to wait? (That will only make sense if you read the story.)
He so would not go out to buy his own cat litter, especially when the press was looking for him.
Ugh. Cropped shirts are so tacky and a polo shirt with swim trunks?
I suck at snorkeling. I always inhale water. I'm impressed he was so great at it his first time...
"Legs crossed Indian style." Cross legged, people. The other makes it sound like its some weird thing only those freaky "Indians" do as if Native Americans were bizarre or something.
Like his computer wouldn't be password protected. TSTL.
A cold doesn't turn into the flu. They're different viruses. Gobs of different viruses. A cold can turn into bronchitis and pneumonia though which would be more fitting to the drama anyway.
There was another possible solution:
So overall, this was a very sweet story but formulaic and predictable.
3.5 stars rounded down because of the sexism and excessive sex.
March 18, 2014
★★★★a solid 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4★★★★
I really liked the premise of the plot for this story: Rafe Quintero, a reporter working for a rag magazine, decides to go undercover as a crew hand working on the yacht of a famous pro-golfer who is rumored to be gay, Daniel Andrews, in order to get an exposé. I really liked Ms. Cates writing. It flowed very nicely, it wasn't choppy and did not have run-on sentences, wasn't awkward in any way, and I didn't notice any glaring spelling/grammar mistakes. Kudos for that!
Moving onto the characters, I really liked both MCs. Daniel is portrayed as cold-as-ice and uncaring in the media. As soon as we meet him, we can see that this is not true. He cares deeply about his niece and sister, he is caring toward his crew, and he took in a one-eyed stray cat (Awwww!). The only reason he seems to be so cold in the public is because he is shy and reserved and doesn't want anybody sticking their nose in his personal life. Once you get to know him away from the public eye, he is a real sweetheart and utterly caring! I really liked Daniel from the beginning.
Rafe, I felt, was a complex character. At first, it is seems hard to like him, and he appears slimy since he is so determined to get the big scoop on Daniel, no matter the means, when it is obvious that Daniel is a pretty decent guy and doesn't deserve people snooping into his life. Rafe is very resentful of Daniel at the beginning because he doesn't understand why Daniel refuses to come out since he has money to fall back up on if coming out affects his career. I was a little annoyed at Rafe for his unfair judgment of Daniel and thinking that coming out would not be a big deal for Daniel since he was rich. But then I learned something about Rafe, and I felt like I had misjudged him. Rafe paid a huge price when he came out, and stepping out of the closet left him homeless, without a family, in the foster care system, and fighting to finish college. After understanding Rafe's backstory, it made sense why Rafe would think that if he came out, then Daniel should be able too as well and not hide. Daniel's family already knew he was gay, and they accepted him for the most part. Furthermore, there are plenty of teenagers out there who could use Daniel as a role model when they are trying to figure out their own sexuality (like Rafe). One thing that bugged me about Rafe's character is that he kept comparing the Daniel he was getting to know to the one the media portrayed. If you are a reporter, shouldn't you be a little more accepting of the fact that not everything that is seen in the media is true? (This just seemed a little unrealistic to me.)
So, to summarize, I really like the characters and I really liked the plot. So, why not give this book a solid 4 or 5 stars? It has to do with the way the author portrayed the beginning of the relationship. It was like she did a lot of telling and not enough showing. She told us that the characters were physically attracted to one another, she told us that they had steamy, raunchy sex, and she told us that they were developing feelings for each other. But I never felt that she showed us any of these things. I think the problem is that Ms. Cates spent too much time describing the actions of the characters and not enough time describing the emotions behind them. I did not feel the sparks of attraction between the characters that Cates claimed were there. I did not see how the characters developed feelings for one another since she never really discussed their feelings. She just, once again, told us that they felt something for one another. During the middle portion of the story, I was seriously thinking of giving it 2 or even 1.5 stars since it was so boring because I could not connect to the characters at all.
Then, it was as if everything changed during the last 20% of the book (which is after the big reveal happened). All of a sudden, I could feel Daniel's hurt after Rafe's betrayal. I could feel Rafe's pain and guilt over what he did to Daniel. And these two finally seemed like people who cared about one another and a couple, and I started rooting for them to have their HEA (which they do, of course! :D). The book definitely ended on a high. So, the beginning was pretty good, the middle was blugh, and the ending was spectacular. I think the premise of the book and the ending make it a worthwhile read even if the middle left me bored. I tentatively recommend it.
I really liked the premise of the plot for this story: Rafe Quintero, a reporter working for a rag magazine, decides to go undercover as a crew hand working on the yacht of a famous pro-golfer who is rumored to be gay, Daniel Andrews, in order to get an exposé. I really liked Ms. Cates writing. It flowed very nicely, it wasn't choppy and did not have run-on sentences, wasn't awkward in any way, and I didn't notice any glaring spelling/grammar mistakes. Kudos for that!
Moving onto the characters, I really liked both MCs. Daniel is portrayed as cold-as-ice and uncaring in the media. As soon as we meet him, we can see that this is not true. He cares deeply about his niece and sister, he is caring toward his crew, and he took in a one-eyed stray cat (Awwww!). The only reason he seems to be so cold in the public is because he is shy and reserved and doesn't want anybody sticking their nose in his personal life. Once you get to know him away from the public eye, he is a real sweetheart and utterly caring! I really liked Daniel from the beginning.
Rafe, I felt, was a complex character. At first, it is seems hard to like him, and he appears slimy since he is so determined to get the big scoop on Daniel, no matter the means, when it is obvious that Daniel is a pretty decent guy and doesn't deserve people snooping into his life. Rafe is very resentful of Daniel at the beginning because he doesn't understand why Daniel refuses to come out since he has money to fall back up on if coming out affects his career. I was a little annoyed at Rafe for his unfair judgment of Daniel and thinking that coming out would not be a big deal for Daniel since he was rich. But then I learned something about Rafe, and I felt like I had misjudged him. Rafe paid a huge price when he came out, and stepping out of the closet left him homeless, without a family, in the foster care system, and fighting to finish college. After understanding Rafe's backstory, it made sense why Rafe would think that if he came out, then Daniel should be able too as well and not hide. Daniel's family already knew he was gay, and they accepted him for the most part. Furthermore, there are plenty of teenagers out there who could use Daniel as a role model when they are trying to figure out their own sexuality (like Rafe). One thing that bugged me about Rafe's character is that he kept comparing the Daniel he was getting to know to the one the media portrayed. If you are a reporter, shouldn't you be a little more accepting of the fact that not everything that is seen in the media is true? (This just seemed a little unrealistic to me.)
So, to summarize, I really like the characters and I really liked the plot. So, why not give this book a solid 4 or 5 stars? It has to do with the way the author portrayed the beginning of the relationship. It was like she did a lot of telling and not enough showing. She told us that the characters were physically attracted to one another, she told us that they had steamy, raunchy sex, and she told us that they were developing feelings for each other. But I never felt that she showed us any of these things. I think the problem is that Ms. Cates spent too much time describing the actions of the characters and not enough time describing the emotions behind them. I did not feel the sparks of attraction between the characters that Cates claimed were there. I did not see how the characters developed feelings for one another since she never really discussed their feelings. She just, once again, told us that they felt something for one another. During the middle portion of the story, I was seriously thinking of giving it 2 or even 1.5 stars since it was so boring because I could not connect to the characters at all.
Then, it was as if everything changed during the last 20% of the book (which is after the big reveal happened). All of a sudden, I could feel Daniel's hurt after Rafe's betrayal. I could feel Rafe's pain and guilt over what he did to Daniel. And these two finally seemed like people who cared about one another and a couple, and I started rooting for them to have their HEA (which they do, of course! :D). The book definitely ended on a high. So, the beginning was pretty good, the middle was blugh, and the ending was spectacular. I think the premise of the book and the ending make it a worthwhile read even if the middle left me bored. I tentatively recommend it.
April 14, 2013
Too much sex not enough conflict or meat to the story.
July 22, 2020
*Received A Copy To Review From The Author*
Decent story but I'm not sure I love either character enough. But they work well together and I buy their relationship so that part works I guess. The conflict is messy and interesting and complicated. Yeah. I liked it but didn't love.
Decent story but I'm not sure I love either character enough. But they work well together and I buy their relationship so that part works I guess. The conflict is messy and interesting and complicated. Yeah. I liked it but didn't love.
April 6, 2013
If you wonder if this book is good, just wait till you get to Rafe and Daniel's first kiss. Gosh, I thought I was going to go up in flames! Intense scene, to be sure, and so effing HOT there aren't words for it.
Rafe questions the readers' ethics, and Daniel their patience. Daniel is a closeted athlete, and Rafe is the journalist undercover to break the story. Seems straightforward, doesn't it? But.... their motivations and past are the reasons for their actions, and they can change your opinion about them. As they change both men to the core.
Ms. Cates writes very well, in an engaging manner, and every moment is fraught with sexual tension. Dialogue is realistic and easy to follow.
Yes, some plot threads, like family and job, don't quite get wrapped up in the end, but maybe there's another book in store for us. I'd sure love to read it. And yeah, there's one sweet woman and one total b***h. Trust is the key here, as is friendship. Big issues to work out in the middle of the sea on a yacht, eh?
Nonetheless, this was a refreshing read, and once I started, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!
Rafe questions the readers' ethics, and Daniel their patience. Daniel is a closeted athlete, and Rafe is the journalist undercover to break the story. Seems straightforward, doesn't it? But.... their motivations and past are the reasons for their actions, and they can change your opinion about them. As they change both men to the core.
Ms. Cates writes very well, in an engaging manner, and every moment is fraught with sexual tension. Dialogue is realistic and easy to follow.
Yes, some plot threads, like family and job, don't quite get wrapped up in the end, but maybe there's another book in store for us. I'd sure love to read it. And yeah, there's one sweet woman and one total b***h. Trust is the key here, as is friendship. Big issues to work out in the middle of the sea on a yacht, eh?
Nonetheless, this was a refreshing read, and once I started, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!
March 3, 2013
This was a fine story to read. My attention was drawn from the beginning. I liked Rafe, he acted strong and hard, but was emotionally weak as a baby. His intention or goal was to exposé one closeted PGA golfer Daniel Andrews to boost his own career. But he couldn't know, that he would fell in love with Daniel. I enjoyed Rafe's and Daniels steamy affair, wow were they hot together...
I totally RECOMMEND this story!!
I totally RECOMMEND this story!!
May 13, 2015
I think i´m going to like everything this author writes.
Another great book by Skylar. This book has everything i want in a book, romance and a little angst and the sex is hot hot hot smoking hot but not over the top, for me at least :)
I Recommend!
Another great book by Skylar. This book has everything i want in a book, romance and a little angst and the sex is hot hot hot smoking hot but not over the top, for me at least :)
I Recommend!
March 2, 2013
Like Leta, I was also lucky enough to have been able to read and help edit this book. I guarantee - if you like m/m romance, you will love this book!
July 20, 2014
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed it! Skylar M. Cates does an amazing job :)will seek out more of her work.
I really enjoyed it! Skylar M. Cates does an amazing job :)will seek out more of her work.
September 30, 2015
Started out well enough. But I just did not like this. I disliked Rafe with a passion, and didn't appreciate the sequence of things. Nope not for me.
March 1, 2015
Exposed tells the story of Daniel Andrews, a top PGA player and Rafe Quintero, a reporter determined to get his story - no matter the cost.
Though Rafe had an awful childhood, and spent some time in foster care, he managed to put himself through college and get a job at a Miami newspaper. He really wants the chance to prove himself as a reporter and when an opportunity comes along to get the real skinny on pro golfer Daniel Andrews, he jumps at the chance. Rafe has friends that can help get him interviewed to be a crew member on Daniel's yacht and figures that with Daniel's cold reputation, it should be easy to be a snake in the grass and out the man and make some money. I admit, I didn't like this side of Rafe. He was coloring everything with his own prejudices and not at all considering that Daniel is a human being. Well, Rafe finds that keeping himself distant enough to do the job isn't all that easy. He also finds that Daniel is a far more likable man than Rafe assumed.
Daniel Andrews is a closeted PGA player. He's at the top of his game, and has loads of endorsements and a privileged life. All of that success comes at a price, though. He can never be himself in public, he has almost no privacy, and one day he reached a breaking point and just walked off the green. No explanation, no apology, just gone. He figures a couple weeks aboard his yacht is just what he needs to figure out what he wants to do. He never intended to let one of the new crew members get under his skin.
The whole time Rafe was determined to get his story, I just wanted to shake him a bit. Daniel being closeted is hurting no one (but himself, maybe, but that's for him to decide) and for Rafe to come in and pretend to be someone that Daniel can trust in order to get a story didn't sit well with me. Daniel turns out to be quite likable and he helps people and he treats his crew like human beings, rather than lowly staff. He even took in a very battered stray cat, which totally won me over. As Daniel started to open up to Rafe, I kept waiting for Rafe to man up and tell Daniel who he was. It did eventually come out, but not the way I had hoped.
Throughout the whole story, both Rafe and Daniel are very conflicted. Rafe, because he no longer wants to do the story, but he can't afford to be out of a job, and Daniel because he wants to come out, but his livelihood effects more than just himself. I liked the lessons they both learned and Rafe came out of the whole situation with at least some integrity, and I was happy about that. The sex between Daniel and Rafe was hawt hawt hawt and their relationship beyond the sex was easy, too. They were a bit of an odd fit, being from such vastly different backgrounds, but they fit, nonetheless. Their HEA was more than satisfying.
Recommended.
Though Rafe had an awful childhood, and spent some time in foster care, he managed to put himself through college and get a job at a Miami newspaper. He really wants the chance to prove himself as a reporter and when an opportunity comes along to get the real skinny on pro golfer Daniel Andrews, he jumps at the chance. Rafe has friends that can help get him interviewed to be a crew member on Daniel's yacht and figures that with Daniel's cold reputation, it should be easy to be a snake in the grass and out the man and make some money. I admit, I didn't like this side of Rafe. He was coloring everything with his own prejudices and not at all considering that Daniel is a human being. Well, Rafe finds that keeping himself distant enough to do the job isn't all that easy. He also finds that Daniel is a far more likable man than Rafe assumed.
Daniel Andrews is a closeted PGA player. He's at the top of his game, and has loads of endorsements and a privileged life. All of that success comes at a price, though. He can never be himself in public, he has almost no privacy, and one day he reached a breaking point and just walked off the green. No explanation, no apology, just gone. He figures a couple weeks aboard his yacht is just what he needs to figure out what he wants to do. He never intended to let one of the new crew members get under his skin.
The whole time Rafe was determined to get his story, I just wanted to shake him a bit. Daniel being closeted is hurting no one (but himself, maybe, but that's for him to decide) and for Rafe to come in and pretend to be someone that Daniel can trust in order to get a story didn't sit well with me. Daniel turns out to be quite likable and he helps people and he treats his crew like human beings, rather than lowly staff. He even took in a very battered stray cat, which totally won me over. As Daniel started to open up to Rafe, I kept waiting for Rafe to man up and tell Daniel who he was. It did eventually come out, but not the way I had hoped.
Throughout the whole story, both Rafe and Daniel are very conflicted. Rafe, because he no longer wants to do the story, but he can't afford to be out of a job, and Daniel because he wants to come out, but his livelihood effects more than just himself. I liked the lessons they both learned and Rafe came out of the whole situation with at least some integrity, and I was happy about that. The sex between Daniel and Rafe was hawt hawt hawt and their relationship beyond the sex was easy, too. They were a bit of an odd fit, being from such vastly different backgrounds, but they fit, nonetheless. Their HEA was more than satisfying.
Recommended.
April 17, 2013
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. Almost from the moment you start it you know how it’s going to play out but you get so lost in the passion and swept up in the romance. The anticipation of the moment Daniel finds out keeps you on edge. Knowing it didn’t take anything away from the story. It was excellent! Now, OMG this story was smoking hot! Daniel is so dominant and toppy in the bedroom and Rafe loves it. There is a lot of sex but keeping their relationship secret leaves them rendezvousing privately to be together, which just adds that desperate element to the sex. Also, thinking they only have a few weeks at sea makes their time limited. They make the most of the time they can spend together by doing what they want to do. Have lots of sex! It wasn’t just sex. The connection the guys had seemed real and I was absolutely rooting for them. I recommend this book and will be checking out whatever the author writes next.
See Whit's full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
I really enjoyed this book. Almost from the moment you start it you know how it’s going to play out but you get so lost in the passion and swept up in the romance. The anticipation of the moment Daniel finds out keeps you on edge. Knowing it didn’t take anything away from the story. It was excellent! Now, OMG this story was smoking hot! Daniel is so dominant and toppy in the bedroom and Rafe loves it. There is a lot of sex but keeping their relationship secret leaves them rendezvousing privately to be together, which just adds that desperate element to the sex. Also, thinking they only have a few weeks at sea makes their time limited. They make the most of the time they can spend together by doing what they want to do. Have lots of sex! It wasn’t just sex. The connection the guys had seemed real and I was absolutely rooting for them. I recommend this book and will be checking out whatever the author writes next.
See Whit's full review at Live Your Life, Buy The Book
July 23, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyable, if somewhat predictable... This was a really fun read. It was easy to get lost in this story. Somewhat predictable? Yes, a down-on-his-luck, desperate-to-prove-himself reporter trying to get the scoop on a very private sports star. Of course they fall for one another, and when the truth comes out, it all goes to shit. So, yes, predictable.
But, as it was very well written, with characters that were interesting and entertaining, it didn't seem predictable or boring while I was reading the story. Of course, the sex being super hot helped. And while there was quite a bit of that as well, it didn't devolve into a PWP story.
So overall a fun, entertaining way to spend some time. And the fact that I begrudged RL stepping in and taking me away from the book? Well that's just an endorsement all in itself!
But, as it was very well written, with characters that were interesting and entertaining, it didn't seem predictable or boring while I was reading the story. Of course, the sex being super hot helped. And while there was quite a bit of that as well, it didn't devolve into a PWP story.
So overall a fun, entertaining way to spend some time. And the fact that I begrudged RL stepping in and taking me away from the book? Well that's just an endorsement all in itself!
March 12, 2016
Rafe an reporter only has one thing going for him his job. And he want to make the story. When he finds out about daniel an ex golf player and what made him leave the sport he becomes curious and he want to solve the story. He wants to expose him but what he didnt plan to fall for him. Plan was simple get the story and get out but of course things didnt go that way.
March 22, 2016
★★★☆☆ ~ 3 Stars
Rafe is a journalist trying to get his break out of the low-rent stories and figures out how to approach Daniel, a PGA golfer long-rumored to be gay.
Of course Daniel turns out to be much more and Rafe is torn between exposure or living with ethics that don't pay the bills.
Sexy, moderate angst read.
Rafe is a journalist trying to get his break out of the low-rent stories and figures out how to approach Daniel, a PGA golfer long-rumored to be gay.
Of course Daniel turns out to be much more and Rafe is torn between exposure or living with ethics that don't pay the bills.
Sexy, moderate angst read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews