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Open Seating
Seth Wilder lost his partner of twenty years to suicide two weeks before a long-anticipated cruise. Cancellation insurance was never purchased, and Seth can’t get a refund. Bryce McFarland, his late partner’s gym buddy, appreciates his predicament, and when asked, agrees to accompany him on the trip. This way, Seth recoups the money and doesn’t have to cancel his plans. The gesture is unexpected but gratefully accepted.
The two men have nothing in common. Seth is a reclusive romance writer, and Bryce is a hard-core Grindr user with major commitment issues. Out of necessity and despite the seemingly insurmountable differences in personality, they develop a tentative rapport. As they begin their journey through the UK, Bryce helps Seth come to terms with his partner’s sudden death while Seth, in turn, discovers the root cause of Bryce’s phobia.
Shipboard romances rarely work. Sensible men resist, sexual tension notwithstanding. But a full moon and late summer breezes lend themselves to the impossible situation. Barriers are crossed, and a love affair is kindled.
The two men have nothing in common. Seth is a reclusive romance writer, and Bryce is a hard-core Grindr user with major commitment issues. Out of necessity and despite the seemingly insurmountable differences in personality, they develop a tentative rapport. As they begin their journey through the UK, Bryce helps Seth come to terms with his partner’s sudden death while Seth, in turn, discovers the root cause of Bryce’s phobia.
Shipboard romances rarely work. Sensible men resist, sexual tension notwithstanding. But a full moon and late summer breezes lend themselves to the impossible situation. Barriers are crossed, and a love affair is kindled.
Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2016
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127 people want to read
About the author
Mickie B. Ashling
51 books346 followersMICKIE B. ASHLING is the pseudonym of a multi-published author who resides in a suburb outside Chicago. She is a product of her upbringing in various cultures, having lived in Japan, the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East. Fluent in three languages, she’s a citizen of the world and an interesting mixture of East and West.
Since 2009, Mickie has written several dozen novels in the LGBTQ+ genre—which have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and German. A lot of her backlist is “Under Construction” as she slowly transitions from traditional publishing to representing herself. Her goal is to have most of her novels back in the universe by the end of 2023.
CONTACT INFO:
Email: mickie.ashling@gmail.com
Website: mickieashling.com
Blog: mickiebashling.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mickie.ashling
Twitter: @MickieAshling
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/micki...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickieashling/
Since 2009, Mickie has written several dozen novels in the LGBTQ+ genre—which have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and German. A lot of her backlist is “Under Construction” as she slowly transitions from traditional publishing to representing herself. Her goal is to have most of her novels back in the universe by the end of 2023.
CONTACT INFO:
Email: mickie.ashling@gmail.com
Website: mickieashling.com
Blog: mickiebashling.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mickie.ashling
Twitter: @MickieAshling
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/micki...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickieashling/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 6, 2016
It's not the Titanic but you might want to keep your life jacket handy...
'Open Seating' is only the second book that I've ever read by this author and while it was by no means an amazing read for me. It was much better than my first attempt which was 'Horizons', I could be wrong but I'd venture to say that was early days for the author as well.
I've been pondering how to ease into this but I don't really think I can so I'm just going to cut to the chase on this one and get to the heart of my problem. Picture this, if you will...
'You've been in a relationship, effectively married to someone for 20 years and suddenly one day they're gone...they've committed suicide and in two weeks you're suppose to go on your dream vacation together. A romantic cruise with stops in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, but now they're gone...You've been planning this for months, possibly longer and of course you didn't get any kind of cancellation insurance. Whatever will you do? You're going to be out thousands of dollars if you don't go or even if you go by yourself.'
This is the situation that Seth finds himself in and I have to admit the practical part of me applauds him for not giving in to his grief and just saying 'to hell with it' and not going or going by himself and spending all his time in his stateroom again wallowing in grief and self pity, he's certainly entitled to either of these scenarios. But there's no real point in this, it won't undo anything or bring Mark back and he knows that it wouldn't be what Mark truly wanted and he loved Mark. So I say kudos to Seth and good on him that he found someone willing to go with him and reimburse him for Mark's share of the trip. The fact that this other person was Bryce, his partner's best friend even struck me as good because hey, he knows Mark and who better to understand Seth's grief than someone else who was a part of Mark's life. So far, so good, right?
Now, I have to admit I don't know if I could have done this given the same situation but I also don't know that I wouldn't have. For me it would have been my way of saying good-bye, of gaining perspective on what had happened, rethinking my life because when you lose your partner the person you had planned on growing old with that's a real game changer and I also know that wallowing in grief and self pity never solved anything. But each person moves on in their own time and way. I get that, I truly do.
What I don't get is how I'm suppose to believe that after 20 years with a person he professes to love and the emotional baggage that goes with losing that person the way he lost Mark did Seth manage to fall in love with someone and not just anyone but his dead partner's best friend in less than 2 months. Seriously? I'm sorry, I need to call b*!!$h*t!! on this one. I can't see it. It just boggles my brain. When I did the math on this one it yanked me out of this story hard and fast and essentially I spent the rest of the book trying to convince myself that this could happen because not only does he fall in love with someone else before he's even resolved his feelings about what Mark did and trust me there were feelings to be resolved, he falls in love with Marks 'best friend' who he initially thinks is basically a Grindr, trolling, skank that he's suddenly not even sure he can stand to be around but oopsie, to late decided to go on a cruise with him.
I have to admit my initial feelings on Bryce really weren't much better than Seth's. I was definitely less that impressed. Luckily as the story progressed Bryce showed a different side to himself and he actually grew on me, in spite of his totally erroneous ideas about people over the age of 50 and what they usually talk about...did I mention that Bryce and Seth are both 47 years old? Yeah, that was impressive. As well as Seth's issues Bryce has a few of his own. He suffers from the dreaded disease...commitmentphobia.
Ultimately what really wrecked this story for me was the timeline. Seriously...less than 2 months to get over the loss of a 20 year partner who committed suicide and to fall in love with his best friend. I just couldn't buy into that add to it a commitment phobic Grindr addict suddenly going from 'this guys to old for me to 'I love you, babe' seriously one more babe and I was ready to start looking for Sonny and Cher up on the lido deck.
Unfortunately for me this once came down to the fact that the story didn't have to be realistic but I needed it to be believable and believing that Seth could work through all his issues and Bryce could resolve his commitment issues and that these two men could go from barely tolerating each other to being in love and committing to each other exclusively in less than two months was just more than I could believe.
What kept this ship from totally sinking was that I did end up liking Bryce. The author gave me a character that had far more than what was on the surface initially. Add to that the fact that Seth and Bryce definitely had a couple of pretty sexy moments and I could honestly see the potential for a relationship between these two. As well there were some interesting secondary characters put into place. In particular the elderly couple that Seth and Bryce met at dinner their first night on the cruise. Jeannie and Andrew. Their interactions with Bryce and Seth were a really nice touch and I liked the conversations that occurred between them and the other members of their dining group.
*************************
An ARC of this book was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
'Open Seating' is only the second book that I've ever read by this author and while it was by no means an amazing read for me. It was much better than my first attempt which was 'Horizons', I could be wrong but I'd venture to say that was early days for the author as well.
I've been pondering how to ease into this but I don't really think I can so I'm just going to cut to the chase on this one and get to the heart of my problem. Picture this, if you will...
'You've been in a relationship, effectively married to someone for 20 years and suddenly one day they're gone...they've committed suicide and in two weeks you're suppose to go on your dream vacation together. A romantic cruise with stops in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, but now they're gone...You've been planning this for months, possibly longer and of course you didn't get any kind of cancellation insurance. Whatever will you do? You're going to be out thousands of dollars if you don't go or even if you go by yourself.'
This is the situation that Seth finds himself in and I have to admit the practical part of me applauds him for not giving in to his grief and just saying 'to hell with it' and not going or going by himself and spending all his time in his stateroom again wallowing in grief and self pity, he's certainly entitled to either of these scenarios. But there's no real point in this, it won't undo anything or bring Mark back and he knows that it wouldn't be what Mark truly wanted and he loved Mark. So I say kudos to Seth and good on him that he found someone willing to go with him and reimburse him for Mark's share of the trip. The fact that this other person was Bryce, his partner's best friend even struck me as good because hey, he knows Mark and who better to understand Seth's grief than someone else who was a part of Mark's life. So far, so good, right?
Now, I have to admit I don't know if I could have done this given the same situation but I also don't know that I wouldn't have. For me it would have been my way of saying good-bye, of gaining perspective on what had happened, rethinking my life because when you lose your partner the person you had planned on growing old with that's a real game changer and I also know that wallowing in grief and self pity never solved anything. But each person moves on in their own time and way. I get that, I truly do.
What I don't get is how I'm suppose to believe that after 20 years with a person he professes to love and the emotional baggage that goes with losing that person the way he lost Mark did Seth manage to fall in love with someone and not just anyone but his dead partner's best friend in less than 2 months. Seriously? I'm sorry, I need to call b*!!$h*t!! on this one. I can't see it. It just boggles my brain. When I did the math on this one it yanked me out of this story hard and fast and essentially I spent the rest of the book trying to convince myself that this could happen because not only does he fall in love with someone else before he's even resolved his feelings about what Mark did and trust me there were feelings to be resolved, he falls in love with Marks 'best friend' who he initially thinks is basically a Grindr, trolling, skank that he's suddenly not even sure he can stand to be around but oopsie, to late decided to go on a cruise with him.
I have to admit my initial feelings on Bryce really weren't much better than Seth's. I was definitely less that impressed. Luckily as the story progressed Bryce showed a different side to himself and he actually grew on me, in spite of his totally erroneous ideas about people over the age of 50 and what they usually talk about...did I mention that Bryce and Seth are both 47 years old? Yeah, that was impressive. As well as Seth's issues Bryce has a few of his own. He suffers from the dreaded disease...commitmentphobia.
Ultimately what really wrecked this story for me was the timeline. Seriously...less than 2 months to get over the loss of a 20 year partner who committed suicide and to fall in love with his best friend. I just couldn't buy into that add to it a commitment phobic Grindr addict suddenly going from 'this guys to old for me to 'I love you, babe' seriously one more babe and I was ready to start looking for Sonny and Cher up on the lido deck.
Unfortunately for me this once came down to the fact that the story didn't have to be realistic but I needed it to be believable and believing that Seth could work through all his issues and Bryce could resolve his commitment issues and that these two men could go from barely tolerating each other to being in love and committing to each other exclusively in less than two months was just more than I could believe.
What kept this ship from totally sinking was that I did end up liking Bryce. The author gave me a character that had far more than what was on the surface initially. Add to that the fact that Seth and Bryce definitely had a couple of pretty sexy moments and I could honestly see the potential for a relationship between these two. As well there were some interesting secondary characters put into place. In particular the elderly couple that Seth and Bryce met at dinner their first night on the cruise. Jeannie and Andrew. Their interactions with Bryce and Seth were a really nice touch and I liked the conversations that occurred between them and the other members of their dining group.
*************************
An ARC of this book was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2016
As I had my problems with this author previously, this is a HUGE maybe. But the blurb sounds too interesting:)
I already said, I had my problems with this author, but this book was surprisingly nice and engaging. Yes, the whole development was a bit too rushed in the light of the death of Seth's longtime partner only two weeks prior to the cruise. But that didn't take away from my reading fun. The obstacles they had to work with in the first third of the story, or so, were quite believable.
Yes, I really liked it!
I already said, I had my problems with this author, but this book was surprisingly nice and engaging. Yes, the whole development was a bit too rushed in the light of the death of Seth's longtime partner only two weeks prior to the cruise. But that didn't take away from my reading fun. The obstacles they had to work with in the first third of the story, or so, were quite believable.
Yes, I really liked it!
October 24, 2016
‘Open Seating’ is an emotional roller coaster from page one, but it is also an excellent character study of two men who could not be more different. Their cruise is a great setting and the underlying stress of having to share close quarters with a near-stranger adds a nice level of tension. Almost from the beginning, the spotlight is on Seth, who has just lost his partner, Mark, of twenty years to suicide, and Bryce, one of Mark’s gym buddies. Ups and downs, crises, and difficulties abound, and neither of the men realizes, never mind admits, that there is a relationship until about halfway through the novel. Bryce thinks it's only physical, or at least that’s what he would like to think. Seth suffers guilt for feeling attracted to another man so soon after Mark's death, so while he admits the physical, he refuses to want to see the emotional side of what’s going on. Talk about denial!
Seth is in shock from losing Mark after twenty years of what he thought was a stable relationship even three weeks after the event. Not surprisingly he is a conflicted man because of it. There is guilt for not seeing Mark had issues, and guilt for surviving. There is the need to go on, but everything is different now and he doesn't want to change. Seth has lots of repressed emotions, and pours them all into his writing. As set in his ways as he is, he is also ready to explore the unknown. He is a wonderfully complicated man and always good for an acerbic comment or a witty observation.
Bryce is a friend of Mark's and has taken his place on the cruise. It’s a good opportunity to travel and he hates the thought of waste. Bryce refuses to act his age, is still single – to the point of being commitment-phobic, loves to hook up at every opportunity, and seems more than a little rough around the edges. But he also has a lot of compassion, an ability to see through lies and BS, and while Seth drives him up the wall, he also feels attracted to him.
How can two men who are so different become lovers? It’s an intriguing idea and the trip with all its different locations is an ideal backdrop to the developing relationship. With its many different situations and challenges it offers Seth and Bryce great opportunities to get to know each other better - without even trying and, in Bryce’s case, without making him feel as though he is sliding into a relationship. They start off as acquaintances who are on the same trip, rub each other the wrong way as soon as they begin to connect, then advance to outright fights and disagreement while the physical attraction they shared from the beginning - but denied vehemently - sizzles in the background. I could clearly see how well they would fit with a little bit of "give" from both sides, but they sure took their time! But once they get going the passion is incendiary.
If you like stories about characters who are as different as can be, if you believe that a slightly awkward beginning is no reason not to fall in love, and if you’re looking for a read that is a great mix of psychology, emotions, and excellent humor - sometimes in the most unexpected places, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I want to know what’s next for Seth and Bryce!
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Seth is in shock from losing Mark after twenty years of what he thought was a stable relationship even three weeks after the event. Not surprisingly he is a conflicted man because of it. There is guilt for not seeing Mark had issues, and guilt for surviving. There is the need to go on, but everything is different now and he doesn't want to change. Seth has lots of repressed emotions, and pours them all into his writing. As set in his ways as he is, he is also ready to explore the unknown. He is a wonderfully complicated man and always good for an acerbic comment or a witty observation.
Bryce is a friend of Mark's and has taken his place on the cruise. It’s a good opportunity to travel and he hates the thought of waste. Bryce refuses to act his age, is still single – to the point of being commitment-phobic, loves to hook up at every opportunity, and seems more than a little rough around the edges. But he also has a lot of compassion, an ability to see through lies and BS, and while Seth drives him up the wall, he also feels attracted to him.
How can two men who are so different become lovers? It’s an intriguing idea and the trip with all its different locations is an ideal backdrop to the developing relationship. With its many different situations and challenges it offers Seth and Bryce great opportunities to get to know each other better - without even trying and, in Bryce’s case, without making him feel as though he is sliding into a relationship. They start off as acquaintances who are on the same trip, rub each other the wrong way as soon as they begin to connect, then advance to outright fights and disagreement while the physical attraction they shared from the beginning - but denied vehemently - sizzles in the background. I could clearly see how well they would fit with a little bit of "give" from both sides, but they sure took their time! But once they get going the passion is incendiary.
If you like stories about characters who are as different as can be, if you believe that a slightly awkward beginning is no reason not to fall in love, and if you’re looking for a read that is a great mix of psychology, emotions, and excellent humor - sometimes in the most unexpected places, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I want to know what’s next for Seth and Bryce!
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
May 26, 2016
I am so torn after reading this book because there were some hard limits of mine that were stomped on, but despite that this was a beautiful love story, a story of second chances if you wish. There were things I couldn’t get past despite the lovely setup here, hence my 3 stars rating. I probably would’ve given this 2 stars if not for the good writing and nice character development.
Two weeks before the vacation planned for their anniversary, Seth’s partner of 20 years took his own life while laying in bed next to Seth. Mark has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, and as a pharmacist he knew that putting Seth through that would be unfair and it would destroy his spirit. Seth is wrecked in the worst way possible because he found out about Mark’s disease from his suicide letter; Seth’s feelings and stance on Mark’s death were pretty easy to understand. Sorrow, heartbreak, sadness, rage, fury…. how does one cope knowing that your partner didn’t give you a choice and kept you in the dark while taking the easy way out?
Seth decides to go on the trip and knowing that cancelling Mark’s ticket would be a loss of money, he invites Mark’s best friend Bryce to go with him. Bryce is the ultimate playboy, unwilling to accept his age and be realistic about life. Picking up barely legal boys on Grindr and fucking his way through the twink population, Bryce is unwilling to open his heart to anyone; he doesn't believe in the sanctity of marriage and truly believes it wrecks people’s lives. Bryce and Seth couldn’t be more different: the monogamist vs. the whore, the idealist vs. the realist, the dreamer vs. the jaded. And yet there’s something between them that neither of them can ignore no matter how hard they try to, for different reasons. Seth doesn’t want to be another notch in Bryce’s post, and Bryce is not looking for anything serious and permanent. But things don't usually go the way people plan, and Bryce and Seth find themselves is a relationship of sorts.
Of course Seth has to work through the guilt and anger, and Bryce has to come to terms with the fact that finding the right person can make you happy and content, instead of miserable.
What I hated with a passion was that Seth’s guilt was handled by putting down Mark; he’s dead already for fuck’s sake, why couldn’t he be remembered as a dedicated partner who loved Seth enough to put up with his neglect? Seth worked as a writer and depended on Mark financially, yet Mark was still the one who had to clean and cook and take care of him after working 60+ hours a week! And what does he get as a reward?…. All his faults are thrown out there for all to see, even though I thought they were minor things that every human has after being in a relationship for so many years (and he didn’t even has a chance to defend himself)!
Also, it took Seth only 3 weeks to sleep with another man. Where is the grieving period? One moment he’s wrecked and the next he gets a magic cock up his ass and all is good. Speaking of dick, I still didn’t understand why Seth and Mark never has penetrative sex in the whole 20 years they’ve been married. Clearly Seth loves getting fucked, so why did it never happened for them? I needed more explanations to understand what exactly the nature of their relationship was, especially since Seth believes their sex life was pretty happy and satisfying.
Bryce goes from being allergic to commitment to being in love overnight. What caused this change of mind? When did his feelings toward Seth started to change from annoyed babysitter to love? Despite how lovely their second chance at love was, I couldn’t get past the many inconsistencies.
Overall an OK book and I’m sure you fans of second chances will fall in love with this book, it just wasn't good enough for me.
Two weeks before the vacation planned for their anniversary, Seth’s partner of 20 years took his own life while laying in bed next to Seth. Mark has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, and as a pharmacist he knew that putting Seth through that would be unfair and it would destroy his spirit. Seth is wrecked in the worst way possible because he found out about Mark’s disease from his suicide letter; Seth’s feelings and stance on Mark’s death were pretty easy to understand. Sorrow, heartbreak, sadness, rage, fury…. how does one cope knowing that your partner didn’t give you a choice and kept you in the dark while taking the easy way out?
Seth decides to go on the trip and knowing that cancelling Mark’s ticket would be a loss of money, he invites Mark’s best friend Bryce to go with him. Bryce is the ultimate playboy, unwilling to accept his age and be realistic about life. Picking up barely legal boys on Grindr and fucking his way through the twink population, Bryce is unwilling to open his heart to anyone; he doesn't believe in the sanctity of marriage and truly believes it wrecks people’s lives. Bryce and Seth couldn’t be more different: the monogamist vs. the whore, the idealist vs. the realist, the dreamer vs. the jaded. And yet there’s something between them that neither of them can ignore no matter how hard they try to, for different reasons. Seth doesn’t want to be another notch in Bryce’s post, and Bryce is not looking for anything serious and permanent. But things don't usually go the way people plan, and Bryce and Seth find themselves is a relationship of sorts.
Of course Seth has to work through the guilt and anger, and Bryce has to come to terms with the fact that finding the right person can make you happy and content, instead of miserable.
What I hated with a passion was that Seth’s guilt was handled by putting down Mark; he’s dead already for fuck’s sake, why couldn’t he be remembered as a dedicated partner who loved Seth enough to put up with his neglect? Seth worked as a writer and depended on Mark financially, yet Mark was still the one who had to clean and cook and take care of him after working 60+ hours a week! And what does he get as a reward?…. All his faults are thrown out there for all to see, even though I thought they were minor things that every human has after being in a relationship for so many years (and he didn’t even has a chance to defend himself)!
Also, it took Seth only 3 weeks to sleep with another man. Where is the grieving period? One moment he’s wrecked and the next he gets a magic cock up his ass and all is good. Speaking of dick, I still didn’t understand why Seth and Mark never has penetrative sex in the whole 20 years they’ve been married. Clearly Seth loves getting fucked, so why did it never happened for them? I needed more explanations to understand what exactly the nature of their relationship was, especially since Seth believes their sex life was pretty happy and satisfying.
Bryce goes from being allergic to commitment to being in love overnight. What caused this change of mind? When did his feelings toward Seth started to change from annoyed babysitter to love? Despite how lovely their second chance at love was, I couldn’t get past the many inconsistencies.
Overall an OK book and I’m sure you fans of second chances will fall in love with this book, it just wasn't good enough for me.
June 5, 2016
I loved the plot of this story. Seth's long time husband, Mark, commits suicide due to a fatal illness and Seth is angry and betrayed that he wasn't given a chance to help him face death and take care of him. They had a cruise planned and Seth couldn't cancel so he asked Mark's gym buddy Bryce to go with him. Bryce agrees and they set off for a 3 week cruise. Now Seth was married to Mark for 20 years so he was settled in his life and Bryce was still a man on the prowl. They were total opposites in every way but the chemistry was there.. Through some trails they figure out that they are attracted to each other. Here is where the story starts getting too fast for me. I would have wanted them to ease into a relationship but right after the first kiss, all they wanted to do was sleep together even though Seth was not having sex with Mark. Seth went from a basket case over losing his husband to a sex fiend in about a minute. Bryce went from beginning a commitment phobe to a romantic one man guy. They decide to sell Seth's house and move in together within this 3 weeks, it was not like they were friends before Mark passed. This could have been a great second chance story if the author had taken her time getting them together. Also to me the book just stopped, they were home in Seth's house and that was it. I would have like to see what happens when they get back to a normal life. Received an ARC from publisher. Reviewed for Alpha Book Club.
February 16, 2018
È un racconto piacevole, che fa esattamente ciò che promette, cioè ci propone una storia dolce con molti momenti caldi, intrecciandola a un argomento difficile, come quello del fine vita.
Per fortuna non ho trovato una storia drammatica, nessuna lacrimuccia è caduta, e Seth è più intento a cercare un modo per andare avanti con una vita da solo che a piangersi addosso, sostenuto anche dal carattere pragmatico e forte di Bryce. Il tutto, però, in una credibile giostra di emozioni credibili relative alla sofferenza legata alle perdita di un marito con cui aveva un legame ventennale.
recensione completa su romanticamentefantasy.it
Per fortuna non ho trovato una storia drammatica, nessuna lacrimuccia è caduta, e Seth è più intento a cercare un modo per andare avanti con una vita da solo che a piangersi addosso, sostenuto anche dal carattere pragmatico e forte di Bryce. Il tutto, però, in una credibile giostra di emozioni credibili relative alla sofferenza legata alle perdita di un marito con cui aveva un legame ventennale.
recensione completa su romanticamentefantasy.it
June 14, 2016
My review is up! This book surprised me quite a bit. After going in with some major reservations, I very much enjoyed it. Go take a look.
April 26, 2018
Recensione a cura di Milady per Feel the Book
Devo confessare che la ragione per cui ho deciso di leggere questo libro, al di là della storia, è l’età dei personaggi principali. Di rado ci imbattiamo in cinquantenni, almeno da che ho memoria, in genere l’età varia da venti a trent’anni o poco più, e via via che l’età aumenta diminuiscono le storie che vedono protagonisti più “attempati”, più vicini a me anagraficamente, badate bene: ho parlato di età anagrafica, perché nell’animo sono un’eterna ragazzina romantica.
A questo punto che dire? Sono molto combattuta, non posso affermare che mi ha colpito particolarmente, per quanto sia scritto bene, in modo scorrevole e delicato, altresì non posso dire che sia brutto o da bocciare, proprio per gli stessi motivi. Fondamentalmente, non sono riuscita ad entrare in sintonia con i personaggi, in particolare con uno di loro: Seth.
Seth e il suo essere perfettino e a modino; Seth e il suo appoggiarsi al mille percento al compagno Mark per tutto ciò che riguarda il vivere quotidiano; Seth e il suo non essersi reso conto della malattia di Mark che lo ha spinto al suicidio, piuttosto che costringere l’amato ad assistere alla sua inesorabile parabola discendente; Seth, che nonostante siano passate solo tre settimane dalla morte del marito, con cui ha trascorso ben vent'anni insieme, pur di non perdere i soldi di una crociera progettata insieme, non esita a partire. Certo… c’è il dolore, lo sgomento, il rimorso per non essersi reso conto del problema, tutto quello che volete, in ogni caso mi è risultato piuttosto antipatico.
Il suo opposto è Bryce, amico ma non così in profondità, da come si evince nel corso della narrazione, del defunto marito di Seth, che, su suo invito, lo accompagna in viaggio. Bryce è un imprenditore edile, una persona attiva, che preferisce trascorrere il tempo a lavorare all’aperto piuttosto che rinchiuso tra quattro mura, uno spirito libero in tutto e per tutto, che utilizza Grindr come carnet degli appuntamenti, anche se, sotto sotto, i suoi veri desideri sono altri.
Sono due poli opposti che lentamente ma inesorabilmente si attraggono e si avvicinano.
Detto questo lascio a voi la decisione di leggerlo o meno, a prescindere dai sentimenti contrastanti non sono certo pentita di averlo fatto, come ho già detto una storia scritta bene, piacevole, in alcune parti anche divertente, soprattutto quando le due personalità si contrappongono dando il via a dialoghi frizzanti e scoppiettanti.
VOTO: 3.5 stelle
Editing recensione a cura di Lilith per Feel the Book
Devo confessare che la ragione per cui ho deciso di leggere questo libro, al di là della storia, è l’età dei personaggi principali. Di rado ci imbattiamo in cinquantenni, almeno da che ho memoria, in genere l’età varia da venti a trent’anni o poco più, e via via che l’età aumenta diminuiscono le storie che vedono protagonisti più “attempati”, più vicini a me anagraficamente, badate bene: ho parlato di età anagrafica, perché nell’animo sono un’eterna ragazzina romantica.
A questo punto che dire? Sono molto combattuta, non posso affermare che mi ha colpito particolarmente, per quanto sia scritto bene, in modo scorrevole e delicato, altresì non posso dire che sia brutto o da bocciare, proprio per gli stessi motivi. Fondamentalmente, non sono riuscita ad entrare in sintonia con i personaggi, in particolare con uno di loro: Seth.
Seth e il suo essere perfettino e a modino; Seth e il suo appoggiarsi al mille percento al compagno Mark per tutto ciò che riguarda il vivere quotidiano; Seth e il suo non essersi reso conto della malattia di Mark che lo ha spinto al suicidio, piuttosto che costringere l’amato ad assistere alla sua inesorabile parabola discendente; Seth, che nonostante siano passate solo tre settimane dalla morte del marito, con cui ha trascorso ben vent'anni insieme, pur di non perdere i soldi di una crociera progettata insieme, non esita a partire. Certo… c’è il dolore, lo sgomento, il rimorso per non essersi reso conto del problema, tutto quello che volete, in ogni caso mi è risultato piuttosto antipatico.
Il suo opposto è Bryce, amico ma non così in profondità, da come si evince nel corso della narrazione, del defunto marito di Seth, che, su suo invito, lo accompagna in viaggio. Bryce è un imprenditore edile, una persona attiva, che preferisce trascorrere il tempo a lavorare all’aperto piuttosto che rinchiuso tra quattro mura, uno spirito libero in tutto e per tutto, che utilizza Grindr come carnet degli appuntamenti, anche se, sotto sotto, i suoi veri desideri sono altri.
Sono due poli opposti che lentamente ma inesorabilmente si attraggono e si avvicinano.
Detto questo lascio a voi la decisione di leggerlo o meno, a prescindere dai sentimenti contrastanti non sono certo pentita di averlo fatto, come ho già detto una storia scritta bene, piacevole, in alcune parti anche divertente, soprattutto quando le due personalità si contrappongono dando il via a dialoghi frizzanti e scoppiettanti.
VOTO: 3.5 stelle
Editing recensione a cura di Lilith per Feel the Book
July 8, 2022
Voto: 3.5
RECENSIONE A CURA DI EVELYNE
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RECENSIONE A CURA DI EVELYNE
Venite a leggerla sul nostro blog!
June 24, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
This is one of those reviews that I dread giving because there was so much potential in this book for it to be a wonderful romance story, but it just wasn’t working for me. I had a really hard time wrapping my head around Seth’s ability to move on/function after the whole sudden loss of Mark, his partner of twenty years. Mark committed suicide after his health began to rapidly fail from a degenerative disease that he had kept a secret from everyone around him. The idea of Seth getting onto a cruise ship two measly weeks later (because you didn’t buy cancellation insurance) and asking someone to come along to defray the cost – someone you really don’t know all that well or particularly like – seemed a bit over the top for me. I’m sorry; I have a really hard time imagining myself being able to get out of bed two weeks after a devastating event such as this. Had the timeline been more realistic, say six months down the road, it might have been a less bitter pill for me to swallow.
Then there was this whole issue with Bryce. Bryce is a bit of a sexaholic and has some serious commitment issues. This is the guy who can’t keep it in his pants between the airplane landing and the cruise ship departing! He just wasn’t the type of guy I expected someone like Seth to want to be around, never mind fall for. Yet, this story wants me to believe that this man has the ability to commit to a grieving man and offer him a happily ever after?
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
3 stars
This is one of those reviews that I dread giving because there was so much potential in this book for it to be a wonderful romance story, but it just wasn’t working for me. I had a really hard time wrapping my head around Seth’s ability to move on/function after the whole sudden loss of Mark, his partner of twenty years. Mark committed suicide after his health began to rapidly fail from a degenerative disease that he had kept a secret from everyone around him. The idea of Seth getting onto a cruise ship two measly weeks later (because you didn’t buy cancellation insurance) and asking someone to come along to defray the cost – someone you really don’t know all that well or particularly like – seemed a bit over the top for me. I’m sorry; I have a really hard time imagining myself being able to get out of bed two weeks after a devastating event such as this. Had the timeline been more realistic, say six months down the road, it might have been a less bitter pill for me to swallow.
Then there was this whole issue with Bryce. Bryce is a bit of a sexaholic and has some serious commitment issues. This is the guy who can’t keep it in his pants between the airplane landing and the cruise ship departing! He just wasn’t the type of guy I expected someone like Seth to want to be around, never mind fall for. Yet, this story wants me to believe that this man has the ability to commit to a grieving man and offer him a happily ever after?
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
January 16, 2017
While there a lot of details about things that didn't necessarily need to be added, I found them quite interesting, and the entire story very entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
February 17, 2018
3 stars and half
February 23, 2018
✔ Letto! Comincio questo libro già dall'inizio provando sconforto. Per lo suicidio di Mark, per la rompipallezza di Seth che almeno all'inizio non fa che lamentarsi. E quel lamentone li non si è accorto che il suo compagno di vita da oltre 20 anni stava male, tanto da suicidarsi😩 Aff... non lo voglio più leggere questo libro!
Ma poi c'è Bryce... che in un modo quasi zen, manda a quel paese Seth, lo affronta e lo zittisce anche, allora proseguo per lui. Vediamo se riusciamo a tirar via quel palo dal cu.. di Seth.
Ok, sono stata cattiva! 😩😒😞 Molto cattiva. il povero uomo aveva appena perduto il suo amore che prima di lasciarsi consumare da un LSA aggressivo, si è suicidato! Senza chiedere, senza parlare o sprimere le sue paure con Seth. Senza considerare come si sarebbe sentito Seth dopo e non gli è stata data la possibilità di aiutarlo ad affrontare la morte e prendersi cura di lui. Non so se sia stato un atto di coraggio, amore e altruismo o di grande egoismo. Come tutti i suicidi tra l'altro. Ma questo è un'altro discorso.
Ecco, devo comprendere Seth, e il suo senso di colpa per non aver capito cosa succedeva nella testa di Mark, il suo dopo Mark, dopo tanti anni in cui era in questa relazione ormai consolidata per lui, tanto da mettersi comodo e cadere nella routine come ormai succede con le vecchie coppie. Quindi con la morte di Mark e la fine dell’esistenza comoda di Seth, che verrà catapultato nel 2016 e i moderni modi di interagire dei uomini gay😊😳
Ha invitato Bryce a venire in crociera con lui al posto di Mark per non perdere una barca di soldi, tra un bisticcio e l'altro l'attrazione cresce, anche se Seth non entra esattamente nel tipo che di solito Bryce va a caccia... I ventenne! Seth sente questa forza che lo attrae verso Bryce, che tra altro è bellissimo e in forma per i suoi 47 anni, e si sente miserabilemente in colpa per questi sentimenti che si stanno svegliando nei suoi confronti e va in tilt.
Ha mandato in tilt anche me, sono rimasta un po' perplessa che solo dopo 3 settimane lui ha cominciato un qualcosa con il miglior amico del marito, (non senza senso di colpa perl'amordidio, ci mancherebbe😩)marito che ha avuto per 20 anni.... 😕 vita vera? Forse. Illusa? Mhmm... Cinica? Non penso.
Io personalmente sarei annegata in un mare di lacrime e depressione e la crociera poteva anche andare a farsi benedire.
“Una donna saggia una volta mi disse che a volte non è questione di tempo; è trovare la persona giusta al momento giusto che fa la differenza.”
Comunque Mickie Ashling scrivi su uomini maturi, almeno uno dei due, se avete letto la sua straordinaria serie Horizzonti, di uomini che sanno quello che vogliono, uomini di sucesso o che ci arriveranno. Uomini vivi, che sanno che il nostro tempo qui sulla terra è effimero, tanto vale viverla a pieno.
Ormai siamo cresciuti con le sacre parole che ci dicono che: ".... C'è un tempo per piangere e un tempo per ridere,
un tempo per fare lutto e un tempo per danzare..."
Nonostante la mia perplessità, non mi ha tolto il divertimento della lettura. Io credo nell'amore, nelle seconde opportunità e nella capacità dell'essere umano di andare avanti, quindi...
Per me è ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
Ma poi c'è Bryce... che in un modo quasi zen, manda a quel paese Seth, lo affronta e lo zittisce anche, allora proseguo per lui. Vediamo se riusciamo a tirar via quel palo dal cu.. di Seth.
Ok, sono stata cattiva! 😩😒😞 Molto cattiva. il povero uomo aveva appena perduto il suo amore che prima di lasciarsi consumare da un LSA aggressivo, si è suicidato! Senza chiedere, senza parlare o sprimere le sue paure con Seth. Senza considerare come si sarebbe sentito Seth dopo e non gli è stata data la possibilità di aiutarlo ad affrontare la morte e prendersi cura di lui. Non so se sia stato un atto di coraggio, amore e altruismo o di grande egoismo. Come tutti i suicidi tra l'altro. Ma questo è un'altro discorso.
Ecco, devo comprendere Seth, e il suo senso di colpa per non aver capito cosa succedeva nella testa di Mark, il suo dopo Mark, dopo tanti anni in cui era in questa relazione ormai consolidata per lui, tanto da mettersi comodo e cadere nella routine come ormai succede con le vecchie coppie. Quindi con la morte di Mark e la fine dell’esistenza comoda di Seth, che verrà catapultato nel 2016 e i moderni modi di interagire dei uomini gay😊😳
Ha invitato Bryce a venire in crociera con lui al posto di Mark per non perdere una barca di soldi, tra un bisticcio e l'altro l'attrazione cresce, anche se Seth non entra esattamente nel tipo che di solito Bryce va a caccia... I ventenne! Seth sente questa forza che lo attrae verso Bryce, che tra altro è bellissimo e in forma per i suoi 47 anni, e si sente miserabilemente in colpa per questi sentimenti che si stanno svegliando nei suoi confronti e va in tilt.
Ha mandato in tilt anche me, sono rimasta un po' perplessa che solo dopo 3 settimane lui ha cominciato un qualcosa con il miglior amico del marito, (non senza senso di colpa perl'amordidio, ci mancherebbe😩)marito che ha avuto per 20 anni.... 😕 vita vera? Forse. Illusa? Mhmm... Cinica? Non penso.
Io personalmente sarei annegata in un mare di lacrime e depressione e la crociera poteva anche andare a farsi benedire.
“Una donna saggia una volta mi disse che a volte non è questione di tempo; è trovare la persona giusta al momento giusto che fa la differenza.”
Comunque Mickie Ashling scrivi su uomini maturi, almeno uno dei due, se avete letto la sua straordinaria serie Horizzonti, di uomini che sanno quello che vogliono, uomini di sucesso o che ci arriveranno. Uomini vivi, che sanno che il nostro tempo qui sulla terra è effimero, tanto vale viverla a pieno.
Ormai siamo cresciuti con le sacre parole che ci dicono che: ".... C'è un tempo per piangere e un tempo per ridere,
un tempo per fare lutto e un tempo per danzare..."
Nonostante la mia perplessità, non mi ha tolto il divertimento della lettura. Io credo nell'amore, nelle seconde opportunità e nella capacità dell'essere umano di andare avanti, quindi...
Per me è ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
January 6, 2022
Alcune cose di questo libro mi sono piaciute, soprattutto leggere di come la storia tra i due progredisce perché leggendo la trama avevo avuto molti dubbi sul far nascere una storia a così pochi giorni dalla morte del compagno di uno dei protagonisti ma devo ammettere che l’autrice è stata molto brava nel trovare i motivi giusti, è riuscita a farmi piacere la situazione e a coinvolgermi pienamente. Le cose che invece non mi sono piaciute sono principalmente tre, la prima la fissazione per l’età di Seth, il continuo cercare ragazzi molto più giovani di lui con cui fare sesso. La seconda cosa il narrare le due avventure che ha nel giro di poche ore, addirittura una con due ragazzi che poi addirittura lo derubano! La terza cosa che tutto d’un tratto i due diventano super affettuosi, parole e atteggiamenti stucchevoli e pieni di smancerie. Insomma il libro all’inizio prometteva male, poi ha avuto una svolta davvero ottima ma ora della fine le cose sono diventate sdolcinate, comunque leggerò di sicuro il seguito
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2018
Un gay romance diverso * * * * *
Se devo essere sincera, dalla sinossi mi aspettavo il solito m/m fatto all’80 per cento di sesso ed ero pure un po’ sconcertata che si potesse dimenticare così alla svelta un matrimonio durato vent’anni. Invece… invece la storia è risultata del tutto diversa. Più che di un suicidio si è trattato del desiderio di sfuggire ad una grave malattia incurabile e molto invalidante, pesante sia per se stessi sia per il partner. D’altra parte Bryce è sì un seduttore seriale e superficiale, ma anche per il suo comportamento c’è un motivo psicologico importante. E perfino la loro crociera insieme non è un evento fortuito, ma forse l’esito di un piano proprio di Mark.
Fin qui siamo nel romance puro. Ma sotto c’è molto di più: una profondità di sentimento, addirittura una concezione filosofica della vita che non mi aspettavo.
(Teresa Siciliano - Matesi)
Se devo essere sincera, dalla sinossi mi aspettavo il solito m/m fatto all’80 per cento di sesso ed ero pure un po’ sconcertata che si potesse dimenticare così alla svelta un matrimonio durato vent’anni. Invece… invece la storia è risultata del tutto diversa. Più che di un suicidio si è trattato del desiderio di sfuggire ad una grave malattia incurabile e molto invalidante, pesante sia per se stessi sia per il partner. D’altra parte Bryce è sì un seduttore seriale e superficiale, ma anche per il suo comportamento c’è un motivo psicologico importante. E perfino la loro crociera insieme non è un evento fortuito, ma forse l’esito di un piano proprio di Mark.
Fin qui siamo nel romance puro. Ma sotto c’è molto di più: una profondità di sentimento, addirittura una concezione filosofica della vita che non mi aspettavo.
(Teresa Siciliano - Matesi)
July 31, 2019
I truly enjoyed the journey of the characters in this novel. My only issue(s) would be how quickly the MC went from abhorring his travel companions love-em-and-leave-em lifestyle to believing he could change him. Not even taking into account that said Romantic has only grieved the loss of his decades-long partner for like, 10 minutes. Then, we have Mr. Love'em discovering he actually does want a life-long commitment, all because he realized what he was missing, again, in like 10 minutes. As I said, the adventures these two embarked on were very entertaining, but the whole premise was a tad unbelievable for me.
June 8, 2018
This was a good book a bit sad in places. Seth lost his partner of 20 years just weeks before they were supposed to go on a cruise they had been saving years for. No wanting to go alone or lose the thousands of dollars spent, Seth asks Bryce, a gym friend of his partner. Bryce and Seth are like oil and water for from pretty much go, the have different opinions on everything and neither are afraid to voice them.
An explosive relationship from beginning to end make this a great book and I'll be interested to keep reading a see how the relationship develops between Seth and Bryce.
An explosive relationship from beginning to end make this a great book and I'll be interested to keep reading a see how the relationship develops between Seth and Bryce.
September 27, 2024
I admit this one took me a bit to get into. There seemed to be such a disconnect between Seth and Bryce to where I was wondering how Seth even thought of Bryce in the first place to go on the cruise. They clearly did not know each other at all. But as the book went on, that was surprisingly one of the things I ended up appreciating. They didn't know each other at all, but they got to know each other. They saw flaws in the other and called them out, but they listened. They worked together. I was actually believing in the end that these two would be a good fit. I'm looking forward to the rest.
April 29, 2024
This book was great, the concept was strong and I loved the half slow burn, my only issue is that the characters shared a lot of (in my eyes) unnecessary arguments. Most of the time when they argued was meaningless and plot filler to me.
April 12, 2018
piacevole lettura,i protagonisti mi sono piaciuti nonostante alcune parti per me non troppo credibili.
September 30, 2018
My word, this was superb!! I have had an uneven experience with M. Ashling's books so was quite worried but as they say, not all books are the same. This was thoughtful, nuanced and deeply emotional. And the very best was that our two MCs are older. Seth and Bryce are both close to 50. The author deftly weaves a story about how one deals with the death of a partner by suicide. That is bad enough but the circumstances under which it happened were particularly tragic. We also get a wonderful layering of Seth. Initially you want to slap him and think he is a whiny idiot but as we read more, you get a complex individual struggling with what happened, how to go on after 20 years and having his world kicked out from under him. With Bryce, you get a manwhore whose reasons for his whoriness (is that even a word) are linked to something that occurred in his past. How things that happen to us inform our thinking, our relationships with people and how we perceive the world. The slowly coming together for Seth and Bryce and how they deal with their respective issues while discovering who each other really is. A badly worded sentence but the skill the author displayed in peeling back the onion for each guy was brilliant. Coupling the character driven and excellently written MCs with the boiling hot smexy just added to the enjoyment. What a treat. Yet another book that has been on my Kindle since 2017. Now to unearth book 2 in this series!
September 6, 2016
This is the toughest kind of review for me. I had a really hard time with this book, but I made myself finish it—and I do mean made. And, I was left with the feeling that it was ok. There were just too many things, hard lines I have that got compromised.
Seth is self-absorbed to the extreme, to the point he doesn’t see when his boyfriend of twenty years cannot even walk across the kitchen floor without falling. REALLY? He doesn’t take responsibility for anything in his and Mark’s life, not even getting food for himself. REALLY? And I am supposed to like this guy and hope he finds someone else? Seth doesn’t even like Bryce, hasn’t for years, and frankly, Bryce hasn’t liked him either, for years. I can get over the going on a cruise thing; if I was grieving I might want to get away also, and give myself time to come to terms with my loss. I cannot, however, get over all of a sudden feeling a connection with a man you hate as you sit on a toilet with IBS—which is described in a little too much detail—after your partner of twenty years died two weeks ago.
Bryce is a narcissist, consumed with the way he looks. He is also a bit of a sex addict and can’t keep it in his pants for fifteen minutes straight. He is a responsible businessman, I will give him that, so we get the idea that when Bryce wants to be responsible, he can. It’s just not often. Bryce is actually the saving grace of this pair. While he didn’t like Seth much before going on this cruise, admittedly he only knew what his friend Mark let him know, which wasn’t much. The Seth he sees is so much more than Mark ever let him be, and it is Bryce’s refusal to coddle Seth that convinces Seth to finally blossom. However, Bryce doesn’t ever grieve for his best friend. The book is about Seth’s grief, and Bryce doesn’t ever act like he just lost his best(?) friend. REALLY?
I didn’t even like the dead guy. Mark was a huge part of this book, and his own choices were not stellar ones. We get the idea that Mark and Seth’s relationship wasn’t healthy in a lot of ways. It couldn’t have been since it was that brokenness that sets the tone for a more positive and cohesive communion between Seth and Bryce. Bryce refuses to be another Mark, and that is understandable, but I have a problem with the premise that Seth’s previous relationship had to have such gaping flaws in it for this new relationship with Bryce to work.
So, how did it end up that the book was ok? Both men are good for each other. I would say that Bryce is just what Seth needs at this point in time. Is this a HEA? I am really not sure. I am not sure you can make that leap of faith with these two. It is a HFN and that makes it more palatable. I have a hard time believing that in “real life”, which a cruise ship is definitely not, that these men will be able to overcome their fundamental differences—not to mention lifetimes of bad habits. By the end of the book, I understood these men, the choices they made to get them where they are. I may (and I do mean may) even read the next book in the series; there are supposed to be three. But this also makes the story more acceptable when it is supposed to be just the opening volley for these two. I am glad I finished it, but I will have to talk myself into the next one.
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach Reviews
Seth is self-absorbed to the extreme, to the point he doesn’t see when his boyfriend of twenty years cannot even walk across the kitchen floor without falling. REALLY? He doesn’t take responsibility for anything in his and Mark’s life, not even getting food for himself. REALLY? And I am supposed to like this guy and hope he finds someone else? Seth doesn’t even like Bryce, hasn’t for years, and frankly, Bryce hasn’t liked him either, for years. I can get over the going on a cruise thing; if I was grieving I might want to get away also, and give myself time to come to terms with my loss. I cannot, however, get over all of a sudden feeling a connection with a man you hate as you sit on a toilet with IBS—which is described in a little too much detail—after your partner of twenty years died two weeks ago.
Bryce is a narcissist, consumed with the way he looks. He is also a bit of a sex addict and can’t keep it in his pants for fifteen minutes straight. He is a responsible businessman, I will give him that, so we get the idea that when Bryce wants to be responsible, he can. It’s just not often. Bryce is actually the saving grace of this pair. While he didn’t like Seth much before going on this cruise, admittedly he only knew what his friend Mark let him know, which wasn’t much. The Seth he sees is so much more than Mark ever let him be, and it is Bryce’s refusal to coddle Seth that convinces Seth to finally blossom. However, Bryce doesn’t ever grieve for his best friend. The book is about Seth’s grief, and Bryce doesn’t ever act like he just lost his best(?) friend. REALLY?
I didn’t even like the dead guy. Mark was a huge part of this book, and his own choices were not stellar ones. We get the idea that Mark and Seth’s relationship wasn’t healthy in a lot of ways. It couldn’t have been since it was that brokenness that sets the tone for a more positive and cohesive communion between Seth and Bryce. Bryce refuses to be another Mark, and that is understandable, but I have a problem with the premise that Seth’s previous relationship had to have such gaping flaws in it for this new relationship with Bryce to work.
So, how did it end up that the book was ok? Both men are good for each other. I would say that Bryce is just what Seth needs at this point in time. Is this a HEA? I am really not sure. I am not sure you can make that leap of faith with these two. It is a HFN and that makes it more palatable. I have a hard time believing that in “real life”, which a cruise ship is definitely not, that these men will be able to overcome their fundamental differences—not to mention lifetimes of bad habits. By the end of the book, I understood these men, the choices they made to get them where they are. I may (and I do mean may) even read the next book in the series; there are supposed to be three. But this also makes the story more acceptable when it is supposed to be just the opening volley for these two. I am glad I finished it, but I will have to talk myself into the next one.
Reviewed by Carrie for The Novel Approach Reviews
June 28, 2016
What is it they say about oil and water? They don't mix. Well, when I first started reading Open Seating that was the first thing that came to mind. Bryce is definitely oil and Seth is water.
Seth has just lost his husband, a man he'd been with for twenty years, to suicide. Two weeks after his death, Seth is going on the cruise he and Mark had saved up for five years. Unable to get back the money for the cost of the trip, he reluctantly asks Mark's long time gym buddy Bryce to go with him.
Bryce agreed to accompany Seth on a three week European cruise as a pseudo-favor to his late friend Mark. He knows that Mark wouldn't want Seth to lose himself to grief and he worries that being alone will amount to nothing more than a depressing cry fest. Bryce knows it's not going to be easy, he and Seth don't exactly get along. They are way too different.
Bryce is basically a man-whore. 47 years old and he still picks up one night stands in clubs and on Grindr. He doesn't want to think about his age and the fact that he's approaching 50. He still has a well honed body that he uses to his advantage whenever he can.
Seth Wilder is a writer of historical romances. At 47 he had spent the last 20 years with a man he'd planned forever with. Now he is alone trying to figure out how to navigate the world without Mark. Bryce seemed to believe he needed to meet someone for a little fun and to help him begin to move forward. However Seth doesn't think that is even an option.
Now these two unlikely companions find themselves growing closer and the attraction they both feel for one another is getting harder to deny. Soon they find themselves starting what is supposed be just a vacation fling. What happens when both men discover that there might just be more between them than they ever imagined?
Honestly, as excited as I was to read this book since I found the blurb appealing, I had a very hard time with the timetable. I'm not sure how I feel about someone who has just lost the love of their life two or three weeks before falling for another man. Especially since he and his husband had been together for 20 years (not to mention Bryce is a manwhore, who has already slept with several people before they even left the dock). I would rather have seen Seth going on this cruise 6 months later or better yet a year. Three weeks was just too soon.
That issue aside, I enjoyed Seth and Bryce's story. Seth was sweet but slightly innocent for a man of his age. My heart hurt a little for him having his husband commit suicide and the timing. While he had a habit of being a tad judgmental when it came to the way Bryce lived his life he seemed to be a very caring even towards a man who was practically a stranger.
Bryce was one of those characters I had a problem with at first. I have a hard time connecting to characters that are led by their "little heads". I also am growing very tired of the whole "I don't do relationships...I don't believe in love" theme that seems to be the trend of so many books. Nevertheless I found myself liking Bryce as the story went on.
I liked Seth and Bryce together. From what I took from their talk of Mark, I felt that Bryce was a good change for him. Bryce was a lot more laid back and adventurous and with Seth's uptight personality it was a nice combination. They had great chemistry and I think complimented each other well.
Would I recommend Open Seating? Yes! 4 Stars!
***A copy of this book was provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review***
Seth has just lost his husband, a man he'd been with for twenty years, to suicide. Two weeks after his death, Seth is going on the cruise he and Mark had saved up for five years. Unable to get back the money for the cost of the trip, he reluctantly asks Mark's long time gym buddy Bryce to go with him.
Bryce agreed to accompany Seth on a three week European cruise as a pseudo-favor to his late friend Mark. He knows that Mark wouldn't want Seth to lose himself to grief and he worries that being alone will amount to nothing more than a depressing cry fest. Bryce knows it's not going to be easy, he and Seth don't exactly get along. They are way too different.
Bryce is basically a man-whore. 47 years old and he still picks up one night stands in clubs and on Grindr. He doesn't want to think about his age and the fact that he's approaching 50. He still has a well honed body that he uses to his advantage whenever he can.
Seth Wilder is a writer of historical romances. At 47 he had spent the last 20 years with a man he'd planned forever with. Now he is alone trying to figure out how to navigate the world without Mark. Bryce seemed to believe he needed to meet someone for a little fun and to help him begin to move forward. However Seth doesn't think that is even an option.
Now these two unlikely companions find themselves growing closer and the attraction they both feel for one another is getting harder to deny. Soon they find themselves starting what is supposed be just a vacation fling. What happens when both men discover that there might just be more between them than they ever imagined?
Honestly, as excited as I was to read this book since I found the blurb appealing, I had a very hard time with the timetable. I'm not sure how I feel about someone who has just lost the love of their life two or three weeks before falling for another man. Especially since he and his husband had been together for 20 years (not to mention Bryce is a manwhore, who has already slept with several people before they even left the dock). I would rather have seen Seth going on this cruise 6 months later or better yet a year. Three weeks was just too soon.
That issue aside, I enjoyed Seth and Bryce's story. Seth was sweet but slightly innocent for a man of his age. My heart hurt a little for him having his husband commit suicide and the timing. While he had a habit of being a tad judgmental when it came to the way Bryce lived his life he seemed to be a very caring even towards a man who was practically a stranger.
Bryce was one of those characters I had a problem with at first. I have a hard time connecting to characters that are led by their "little heads". I also am growing very tired of the whole "I don't do relationships...I don't believe in love" theme that seems to be the trend of so many books. Nevertheless I found myself liking Bryce as the story went on.
I liked Seth and Bryce together. From what I took from their talk of Mark, I felt that Bryce was a good change for him. Bryce was a lot more laid back and adventurous and with Seth's uptight personality it was a nice combination. They had great chemistry and I think complimented each other well.
Would I recommend Open Seating? Yes! 4 Stars!
***A copy of this book was provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review***
June 29, 2016
Original Blog Post: Exclusives Blog Tour, Review, #Excerpt & #Giveaway: Open Seating by Guest Bloggermomma Mickie B. Ashling
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
This may surprise those who know me by now as there are things going on in Open Seating that can trigger a whole lot of grief for some readers. Normally, it would have had the same effect on me, but there was just something about how this was written that it made it difficult to NOT read this until the very end.
First things first. I did not like Seth at all. Then I got to understand him. Finally, I felt for him.
Second, Bryce. I did not like him at all. Then I began to sorta understand him as a man and that was when the feelings came in for me. After the initial urgh, hmmmm... noooooo! I found myself drinking tea and eating and eating and my eyes never left their unfolding... romance? ... prelude to romance?
Now why these questions?
Well, for one thing, as the blurb states, Seth lost someone he truly loved and didn't really deal very well with the overwhelming grief, loss and anger over his lover's suicide. These were confusing times for him and although some would argue there was no way he would have suffered over the question of going or not going on a cruise, truth is, his indecision was probably the best thing I've read about in a romantic character for a long time. It was this indecisiveness that made Seth more than just a character, he was a man who was truly suffering. I remember losing my father and most of my thoughts were focused on my NEED to finish the Twilight Series.
People, that is what you call DENIAL!
Seth didn't know how to handle life after the death and probably his decision to go on the tour and bringing a friend is not the ideal on how one deals with a profound loss but that is how he did it and that is where this story brings us.
I'll gloss over the romance, it was a given especially as most of it is right there for you to see in the blurb. My focus is on how the author handled the grief process. It was real. Too real. I admit, it is confusing and have already stated that yes, this may not be acceptable to readers whose ideal of how to handle life's left hooks differs.
Is this HEA? I would say, not. It is more like an HFN. It did happen in a very short period of time and to be honest, romances on cruise ships as a result of some kind of rebound is not an ideal way to expect a forever type of love. So, is Seth going to find it in Bryce's arms? I honestly don't know. Maybe Ms Ashling will lend us an answer to this question as it truly escapes me.
Overall, I would really recommend reading this story. YES! it is very different, not formulaic in the sense of #dealingwithlifehacks but thing is, it is this difference that made me continue to read and go beyond the words. It gave the feels and if you're ready for something different, then this is the read for you. If you want to go around with blinders on, don't bother. You won't get the message.
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
This may surprise those who know me by now as there are things going on in Open Seating that can trigger a whole lot of grief for some readers. Normally, it would have had the same effect on me, but there was just something about how this was written that it made it difficult to NOT read this until the very end.
First things first. I did not like Seth at all. Then I got to understand him. Finally, I felt for him.
Second, Bryce. I did not like him at all. Then I began to sorta understand him as a man and that was when the feelings came in for me. After the initial urgh, hmmmm... noooooo! I found myself drinking tea and eating and eating and my eyes never left their unfolding... romance? ... prelude to romance?
Now why these questions?
Well, for one thing, as the blurb states, Seth lost someone he truly loved and didn't really deal very well with the overwhelming grief, loss and anger over his lover's suicide. These were confusing times for him and although some would argue there was no way he would have suffered over the question of going or not going on a cruise, truth is, his indecision was probably the best thing I've read about in a romantic character for a long time. It was this indecisiveness that made Seth more than just a character, he was a man who was truly suffering. I remember losing my father and most of my thoughts were focused on my NEED to finish the Twilight Series.
People, that is what you call DENIAL!
Seth didn't know how to handle life after the death and probably his decision to go on the tour and bringing a friend is not the ideal on how one deals with a profound loss but that is how he did it and that is where this story brings us.
I'll gloss over the romance, it was a given especially as most of it is right there for you to see in the blurb. My focus is on how the author handled the grief process. It was real. Too real. I admit, it is confusing and have already stated that yes, this may not be acceptable to readers whose ideal of how to handle life's left hooks differs.
Is this HEA? I would say, not. It is more like an HFN. It did happen in a very short period of time and to be honest, romances on cruise ships as a result of some kind of rebound is not an ideal way to expect a forever type of love. So, is Seth going to find it in Bryce's arms? I honestly don't know. Maybe Ms Ashling will lend us an answer to this question as it truly escapes me.
Overall, I would really recommend reading this story. YES! it is very different, not formulaic in the sense of #dealingwithlifehacks but thing is, it is this difference that made me continue to read and go beyond the words. It gave the feels and if you're ready for something different, then this is the read for you. If you want to go around with blinders on, don't bother. You won't get the message.
February 7, 2017
Original review on Molly Lolly
Four and a half stars!
This story was lovely. I adored Seth and Bryce. They went on this amazing adventure together. But they also overcame some major obstacles in their lives that kept both of them from going forward and being happy. Watching them both on their journeys was wonderful. I enjoyed getting to see inside both of their thoughts and how the overall experience affected both of them. The emotions that were brought out were so clear as I read. I felt so much along with the characters.
Seth broke my heart. Right from the beginning you could tell he had a hard path to follow in the future. There were a few times I felt like Seth was coddled by Mark but it’s easy to see it was done out of love. As Seth opened up and began to work through his grief a new man emerged and I could tell Seth was going to be happy and make it long term. I adored how his feelings for Bryce grew slowly and almost crept up on him.
Bryce was such a playboy at the beginning of the story I wasn’t sure if he’d ever get his head out of his ass. There are a few scenes at the beginning of the story you may want to skip if seeing one of the main characters with not the other character is a no for you. However it’s done in a way that shows Bryce’s character at the time and also how he changes by the end of the book. Even with how shallow Bryce is, I adored him right from the start. I loved getting to see him open up and the tender side of him that was always there. The way he cared for Seth, at first physically and then emotionally, was so sweet. It made me swoon just a little bit.
I was wary of how Mark’s passing was going to be handled. However I should have known it would have been done well since Ms. Ashling is the author. I was glad to see a tough and emotional topic was handled with care and respect. I’m interested how the shadow of Mark will play out in the next two books in this series. However based on this book, I’m pleasantly hopeful we’ll get to see more healing on Seth’s part and acceptance of Mark’s choice.
There’s a strong happy for now ending as this book closes. I adore these two and can’t wait to see more of them in the next book. I’m eager to see their feelings for each other grow. But I especially want to see how they handle living together and build a relationship full time with both of their quirks and idiosyncrasies. I imagine there will be bumps along the way but that will just make them finding their way so much sweeter.
Four and a half stars!
This story was lovely. I adored Seth and Bryce. They went on this amazing adventure together. But they also overcame some major obstacles in their lives that kept both of them from going forward and being happy. Watching them both on their journeys was wonderful. I enjoyed getting to see inside both of their thoughts and how the overall experience affected both of them. The emotions that were brought out were so clear as I read. I felt so much along with the characters.
Seth broke my heart. Right from the beginning you could tell he had a hard path to follow in the future. There were a few times I felt like Seth was coddled by Mark but it’s easy to see it was done out of love. As Seth opened up and began to work through his grief a new man emerged and I could tell Seth was going to be happy and make it long term. I adored how his feelings for Bryce grew slowly and almost crept up on him.
Bryce was such a playboy at the beginning of the story I wasn’t sure if he’d ever get his head out of his ass. There are a few scenes at the beginning of the story you may want to skip if seeing one of the main characters with not the other character is a no for you. However it’s done in a way that shows Bryce’s character at the time and also how he changes by the end of the book. Even with how shallow Bryce is, I adored him right from the start. I loved getting to see him open up and the tender side of him that was always there. The way he cared for Seth, at first physically and then emotionally, was so sweet. It made me swoon just a little bit.
I was wary of how Mark’s passing was going to be handled. However I should have known it would have been done well since Ms. Ashling is the author. I was glad to see a tough and emotional topic was handled with care and respect. I’m interested how the shadow of Mark will play out in the next two books in this series. However based on this book, I’m pleasantly hopeful we’ll get to see more healing on Seth’s part and acceptance of Mark’s choice.
There’s a strong happy for now ending as this book closes. I adore these two and can’t wait to see more of them in the next book. I’m eager to see their feelings for each other grow. But I especially want to see how they handle living together and build a relationship full time with both of their quirks and idiosyncrasies. I imagine there will be bumps along the way but that will just make them finding their way so much sweeter.
October 11, 2016
For all their outward differences, they were very much alike—two damaged men looking for love.
❇❇❇
Through the years, Bryce gained a reputation as a player, which was preferable to being stuck in a miserable situation. He was a huge fan of the Grindr app and used it without compunction. Monogamy was unrealistic, in his opinion, and he couldn’t understand the big rush to get married when half of marriages ended in divorce.
Commitment, monogamous life are two things that never existed in Bryce's life.
One fuck, one night stand, never with same guy, no string attached.
That all he need. Period.
When his late gym buddy partner, Seth - asked him to fill Mark spot on their supposed to be anniversary romantic journey on cruise, Bryce cannot say no to the offers and won't let Seth to go alone...
Worried that Seth will doing something 'stupid' on his journey, Bryce had prepared himself not only as Seth 'companion' but also as his 'nanny', 'bodyguard' and as a 'psychologist' if it needed, if - in any case - Seth come into a meltdowns.
Didn't want to spend three weeks the vacation by himself and facing his loneliness grieving over Mark death and 'betrayal', Seth decided on last minute to asked Mark's gym buddy, Bryce to accompanying him.
Soon Seth know he had make a HUGE mistake by asking Bryce with him, they don't have anything in commons at all. Bryce straight-forward-bluntness words and spontaneous was opposite to his introvert-always on schedule life. They argue a lot during the first few days of their time together and often trapped in awkward situations.
But it's not an easy things to do to maintain their no-string-attach-arrangement when Bryce started to feel more for Seth.
Seth brought out more than the gentleman in him. Bryce wanted to protect him and make sure the rest of his life was smooth sailing after his recent troubles. He didn’t want anyone to fuck with his head again...
Will Bryce dare himself to make a decision that he'd been avoiding this long for a commitment?
Will Seth finally out of his guilty feelings over Mark's death?
Will there's a second chance for a happiness?
Give yourself to this beautiful story about the second chance and enjoy the story...
“Why me?” Seth asked. “And this is the part that confuses me,” Bryce said. “You aren’t my type, and yet… I’m drawn to you."
June 28, 2016
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review.***
Seth Wilder is a reclusive romance author, who lost his husband Mark just two weeks before going away on a cruise to celebrate their twenty years together. Since he's unable to get a refund, he decides to go on the trip anyway, and his husband's gym partner offers to go with him.
Bryce is a commitment-phobic, addicted to Grindr and meaningless flings, the complete opposite to Seth in almost every way, so of course, sparks fly, and not the good kind, at least at first. As they start knowing each other better, they grow closer, but will their shipboard romance float or sink at the end of the trip?
I have to admit that while I liked Seth from the start, I wasn't too sure about Bryce. He was too brash, too much of a manwhore and very unapologetic about it all. However, it was very nice that he had another side of himself that he finally showed as he and Seth started to grow closer. And Seth, well, he was flawed as well, just in a different way, he was so focused on his work, almost to the detriment of everything else, and it was nice to see him realize there was more to life than just writing. I really liked how much growth their characters showed throughout the book, too. Their chemistry was unbelievable and the banter was very fun to read!
The one thing that I found difficult to overlook was the fact that it'd been such a short time between Mark's death and the cruise. That bugged me from the start and while I still liked the book, it put a damper to my overall enjoyment.
Aside from that, this is a very well-written book, a different kind of romance, realistic, raw, angsty, humorous and witty, and I can't wait to read the next two books in the trilogy and see where the author might take us next with Seth and Bryce!
Rating: 4 Stars!!!
Seth Wilder is a reclusive romance author, who lost his husband Mark just two weeks before going away on a cruise to celebrate their twenty years together. Since he's unable to get a refund, he decides to go on the trip anyway, and his husband's gym partner offers to go with him.
Bryce is a commitment-phobic, addicted to Grindr and meaningless flings, the complete opposite to Seth in almost every way, so of course, sparks fly, and not the good kind, at least at first. As they start knowing each other better, they grow closer, but will their shipboard romance float or sink at the end of the trip?
I have to admit that while I liked Seth from the start, I wasn't too sure about Bryce. He was too brash, too much of a manwhore and very unapologetic about it all. However, it was very nice that he had another side of himself that he finally showed as he and Seth started to grow closer. And Seth, well, he was flawed as well, just in a different way, he was so focused on his work, almost to the detriment of everything else, and it was nice to see him realize there was more to life than just writing. I really liked how much growth their characters showed throughout the book, too. Their chemistry was unbelievable and the banter was very fun to read!
The one thing that I found difficult to overlook was the fact that it'd been such a short time between Mark's death and the cruise. That bugged me from the start and while I still liked the book, it put a damper to my overall enjoyment.
Aside from that, this is a very well-written book, a different kind of romance, realistic, raw, angsty, humorous and witty, and I can't wait to read the next two books in the trilogy and see where the author might take us next with Seth and Bryce!
Rating: 4 Stars!!!
March 14, 2017
3,5 stars.
June 5, 2018
So, if I take this as a frenemies to lovers tale, it is quite cute and enjoyable.
If I take it as written with Seth having to go on a cruise 2 weeks after his partners death, with Bryce taking up Mark’s place, then it is a bit harder to like.
The writing is pacy and engaging - there are some funny bits (not sure intended) - I did chuckle about the moan about long UK passport queues - works both ways, going into US is a nightmare! And the comment about passengers soaking up the sun on a cruise round the British Isles made me laugh - very rarely warm enough!!!
Seth is a fairly pampered princess, having been largely looked after by Mark, even in death Mark. Bryce is a self sufficient go-getter. After Mark’s death they are thrown together like oil and water.
Seth seems fairly unfazed by life only two weeks after Mark’s death, and even as a close friend Bryce seems very blasé. So these elements take a lot of accepting.
Although Mark also seemed quite secretive about his illness, these guys had been together for 20 years yet read more as business partners.
Jeannie gives Seth an insight into Mark’s process but he also teaches her about what happens after.
Bryce teaches Seth about living and both he and Mark’s death force Seth to look how he has been living his life.
So overall, enjoyed the story apart from a bit of eye rolling about timings.
If I take it as written with Seth having to go on a cruise 2 weeks after his partners death, with Bryce taking up Mark’s place, then it is a bit harder to like.
The writing is pacy and engaging - there are some funny bits (not sure intended) - I did chuckle about the moan about long UK passport queues - works both ways, going into US is a nightmare! And the comment about passengers soaking up the sun on a cruise round the British Isles made me laugh - very rarely warm enough!!!
Seth is a fairly pampered princess, having been largely looked after by Mark, even in death Mark. Bryce is a self sufficient go-getter. After Mark’s death they are thrown together like oil and water.
Seth seems fairly unfazed by life only two weeks after Mark’s death, and even as a close friend Bryce seems very blasé. So these elements take a lot of accepting.
Although Mark also seemed quite secretive about his illness, these guys had been together for 20 years yet read more as business partners.
Jeannie gives Seth an insight into Mark’s process but he also teaches her about what happens after.
Bryce teaches Seth about living and both he and Mark’s death force Seth to look how he has been living his life.
So overall, enjoyed the story apart from a bit of eye rolling about timings.
June 20, 2016
If you’ve read the synopsis of this book you know Seth and his husband were going to be going on a 3 week cruise to celebrate their 20 year marriage, his sudden death leaves him without a companion and out a lot of money if he can’t get someone else. Bryce, Seth’s husband Mark’s friend, volunteers to take his spot and help Seth out. That’s it in short….
Now, I didn’t expect a lot of things in this book and the controversial topic it took on. I will not reveal it since it’s a spoiler and vital to the story.
It is a love story. A friends to lovers sort of. I’d put it in that category. The loss of Mark does bring Bryce and Seth together but how it starts would not make you think it would end happily lol. Bryce is a confirmed bachelor pushing 50 who likes twinks. Seth is a successful historical romance writer who likes things calmer and his age lol. Totally opposite… and they are stuck on a cruise ship together.
It’s a certain couple they meet that changes their perspective on a lot of things and in turn the 4 of them show each other new ways to look at things.
For such a controversial topic I can’t commend Mickie enough for the dignity, respect, and eloquence she brought to this book.
It was absolutely wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now, I didn’t expect a lot of things in this book and the controversial topic it took on. I will not reveal it since it’s a spoiler and vital to the story.
It is a love story. A friends to lovers sort of. I’d put it in that category. The loss of Mark does bring Bryce and Seth together but how it starts would not make you think it would end happily lol. Bryce is a confirmed bachelor pushing 50 who likes twinks. Seth is a successful historical romance writer who likes things calmer and his age lol. Totally opposite… and they are stuck on a cruise ship together.
It’s a certain couple they meet that changes their perspective on a lot of things and in turn the 4 of them show each other new ways to look at things.
For such a controversial topic I can’t commend Mickie enough for the dignity, respect, and eloquence she brought to this book.
It was absolutely wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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