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Mixed Tape #3
True
Dan Rockwell finds a mix tape in an old trunk which brings back memories of a special night in 1984.
When Dan Rockwell discovers a mix tape in an old trunk in his parents' attic, it brings back fond memories. Coaxed by his partner, Dan recalls Russ Hill, the guy who gave him the mix tape, and their very sexy Spring night together back in 1984.
This story is also available in the Mix Tapes Vol. 1 anthology
When Dan Rockwell discovers a mix tape in an old trunk in his parents' attic, it brings back fond memories. Coaxed by his partner, Dan recalls Russ Hill, the guy who gave him the mix tape, and their very sexy Spring night together back in 1984.
This story is also available in the Mix Tapes Vol. 1 anthology
- GenresM M Romance
ebook
First published June 6, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 11, 2013
1.5 stars
This feels like PWP (porn without plot) to me. Well, okay, there is something that allegedly can be called 'plot': A guy checked out his parents' attic, and found a box containing an old tape. Since he was doing it with his current partner present, the partner asked about the tape. So the MC told the story of the tape: his hot sexual encounters with another guy when he was young. That's it. Yep, just like the blurb says. In other words, this is a story about a guy telling his sexual experience with another guy (in detail) to his current partner. Yep, that's a nice romance there.
Without this story, the 'Mixed Tape' anthology would have been much stronger. Alas, true to it's name, it's a mixed tape. Some (others) are good, this one isn't.
This feels like PWP (porn without plot) to me. Well, okay, there is something that allegedly can be called 'plot': A guy checked out his parents' attic, and found a box containing an old tape. Since he was doing it with his current partner present, the partner asked about the tape. So the MC told the story of the tape: his hot sexual encounters with another guy when he was young. That's it. Yep, just like the blurb says. In other words, this is a story about a guy telling his sexual experience with another guy (in detail) to his current partner. Yep, that's a nice romance there.
Without this story, the 'Mixed Tape' anthology would have been much stronger. Alas, true to it's name, it's a mixed tape. Some (others) are good, this one isn't.
July 14, 2013
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
Dan is with his partner of ten years, Ian, cleaning out his mother's attic space when they come across an old trunk that very obviously according to it's decoration, once belonged to a young Dan. At Ian's urging, Dan opens the trunk to find memories from his teenaged years -- including one mixtape -- the memory of which obviously seems to mean a lot to Dan. Ian wants to hear the story of where it came from and why it means so much to Dan. He's somewhat reluctant to tell Ian, not because they don't tell each other everything about their past lovers anyway, but because it's a special memory to him.
On their drive home, Dan starts the story and we flash back to 1984, the year of Dan's senior year of high school where he's invited to a house party of a friend now in college and learns that another roommate there is Russ, his friend from high school that he lost touch with when he went away to college. Dan always had feelings for Russ, feelings that he had a hard time exploring. Russ was all around perfect -- really cute, brave enough to come out, very smart and an incredibly talented artist - where Dan feels he's none of those things. In fact, he's still in the closet and totally scared of anyone finding out about him.
The story continues when Russ and Dan start talking at the party, and when one thing leads to another and the rest of the guys decide to move the party elsewhere, the guys are left alone in an empty house. Dan is suddenly faced with the assurance that for the first time something is going to happen and totally excited that of all guys, that something is going to happen with Russ Hill. Then he puts in the mixtape...
In some ways I can see where this might be a disappointing story for some. There's really no romance and not much plot here. The story is basically Dan recounting a night in his past for his partner, but we don't learn a lot about that partner. In fact, we learn a whole lot more about Russ than we do about Ian. I found that to be a little sad, not only because it would help the story so much to have an understanding of the present day and Dan's relationship with his partner, but also because I have a feeling that while Dan may have fond memories of his first time that Russ probably wasn't as interesting as Ian. Maybe I feel that way because I wanted to know Ian better, but I also wanted to know the man that Dan has spent 10 years with rather than the boy that he spent a night with.
I labelled this as Contemporary Erotic Romance, but I didn't feel that it was in particular a "romance" nor that it was "erotica". We don't get a romance because the man that Dan is with isn't really known to us, and his relationship with Russ isn't really enough to constitute even a failed romance, and his first sexual encounter isn't really even particularly that erotic, just some playing that, for sure is a big deal for a first time, but otherwise not as much.
At the same time, I have to give this story props because even with all of those things I've written I still really enjoyed this story and I didn't feel that in any particular area it really failed in a big way (except with present day Ian, which I talked about). This story read for me as more of a short gay fiction story, whether the author intended that or not. There's a happy ending, but it's not part of the story we really read about, it's because we know that today as the story ends Dan is in a happy place. In 1984, his one night with Russ Hill is overall a bit disappointing. Still, I found the emotions that Dan has about that time in his life to be appropriately subtle in many ways across the board -- fondness, sadness, memory of his excitement and his overall disappointment. Even more than that, I gave this story a whole extra point (star…what have you) simply because that whole encounter between Russ and Dan was so real. You can feel Dan's nervousness and his excitement and the feeling that something out of control is happening to him but which he'd never ever say no to! And at the same time, you can at once see the dichotomy between them and their experience. Dan is fresh and overwhelmed and Russ is experienced and nonchalant and at the same time just a little bit jaded. He's obviously glad he got Dan into his bed, but I (as the reader) got the feeling that to Russ that's all that really mattered. Dan, as this is something he looked forward to and wanted for so long automatically has deeper meaning for him. That is something that he doesn't figure out until later.
Honestly, I didn't expect a whole lot from this story because I don't know this author. I assumed that this was a new author, thought she apparently isn't and I just wasn't familiar with her before. In the end, this is a mixed bag for me. Some of the writing was really excellent, but some of the story crafting was disappointing. So So
Oh, before I go! Has anyone else been listening to the song when it pops up in the story? I put it up on iTunes whenever I read one of these stories and when they put the mixtape in and started.... well, you know, and "ah, ah, ah, hah ah... I know this much is truuuuee" I started CRACKING UP LAUGHING ;) I was born in 1984 so this song, instead, just made me think of "The Wedding Singer" with Adam Sandler instead!
Dan is with his partner of ten years, Ian, cleaning out his mother's attic space when they come across an old trunk that very obviously according to it's decoration, once belonged to a young Dan. At Ian's urging, Dan opens the trunk to find memories from his teenaged years -- including one mixtape -- the memory of which obviously seems to mean a lot to Dan. Ian wants to hear the story of where it came from and why it means so much to Dan. He's somewhat reluctant to tell Ian, not because they don't tell each other everything about their past lovers anyway, but because it's a special memory to him.
On their drive home, Dan starts the story and we flash back to 1984, the year of Dan's senior year of high school where he's invited to a house party of a friend now in college and learns that another roommate there is Russ, his friend from high school that he lost touch with when he went away to college. Dan always had feelings for Russ, feelings that he had a hard time exploring. Russ was all around perfect -- really cute, brave enough to come out, very smart and an incredibly talented artist - where Dan feels he's none of those things. In fact, he's still in the closet and totally scared of anyone finding out about him.
The story continues when Russ and Dan start talking at the party, and when one thing leads to another and the rest of the guys decide to move the party elsewhere, the guys are left alone in an empty house. Dan is suddenly faced with the assurance that for the first time something is going to happen and totally excited that of all guys, that something is going to happen with Russ Hill. Then he puts in the mixtape...
In some ways I can see where this might be a disappointing story for some. There's really no romance and not much plot here. The story is basically Dan recounting a night in his past for his partner, but we don't learn a lot about that partner. In fact, we learn a whole lot more about Russ than we do about Ian. I found that to be a little sad, not only because it would help the story so much to have an understanding of the present day and Dan's relationship with his partner, but also because I have a feeling that while Dan may have fond memories of his first time that Russ probably wasn't as interesting as Ian. Maybe I feel that way because I wanted to know Ian better, but I also wanted to know the man that Dan has spent 10 years with rather than the boy that he spent a night with.
I labelled this as Contemporary Erotic Romance, but I didn't feel that it was in particular a "romance" nor that it was "erotica". We don't get a romance because the man that Dan is with isn't really known to us, and his relationship with Russ isn't really enough to constitute even a failed romance, and his first sexual encounter isn't really even particularly that erotic, just some playing that, for sure is a big deal for a first time, but otherwise not as much.
At the same time, I have to give this story props because even with all of those things I've written I still really enjoyed this story and I didn't feel that in any particular area it really failed in a big way (except with present day Ian, which I talked about). This story read for me as more of a short gay fiction story, whether the author intended that or not. There's a happy ending, but it's not part of the story we really read about, it's because we know that today as the story ends Dan is in a happy place. In 1984, his one night with Russ Hill is overall a bit disappointing. Still, I found the emotions that Dan has about that time in his life to be appropriately subtle in many ways across the board -- fondness, sadness, memory of his excitement and his overall disappointment. Even more than that, I gave this story a whole extra point (star…what have you) simply because that whole encounter between Russ and Dan was so real. You can feel Dan's nervousness and his excitement and the feeling that something out of control is happening to him but which he'd never ever say no to! And at the same time, you can at once see the dichotomy between them and their experience. Dan is fresh and overwhelmed and Russ is experienced and nonchalant and at the same time just a little bit jaded. He's obviously glad he got Dan into his bed, but I (as the reader) got the feeling that to Russ that's all that really mattered. Dan, as this is something he looked forward to and wanted for so long automatically has deeper meaning for him. That is something that he doesn't figure out until later.
Honestly, I didn't expect a whole lot from this story because I don't know this author. I assumed that this was a new author, thought she apparently isn't and I just wasn't familiar with her before. In the end, this is a mixed bag for me. Some of the writing was really excellent, but some of the story crafting was disappointing. So So
Oh, before I go! Has anyone else been listening to the song when it pops up in the story? I put it up on iTunes whenever I read one of these stories and when they put the mixtape in and started.... well, you know, and "ah, ah, ah, hah ah... I know this much is truuuuee" I started CRACKING UP LAUGHING ;) I was born in 1984 so this song, instead, just made me think of "The Wedding Singer" with Adam Sandler instead!
June 16, 2013
3.5 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
This story is really short and is in fact a trip down to memory lane as they say.
Dan is over at his mother’s house to help her with the attic. With his boyfriend right behind him he tries to find what he’s been charged to but stumbles upon an old mix-tape that the very sight of it opens the door to one of most important teenage memories.
His first crush, a college boy named Russ, comes up from the past and Dan relives their first and only encounter.
I liked it very much, it was short and to the point and managed to successfully draw me with it while at the same time caused me to make a trip of my own back at those shy and full of emotions/hormones teenage years.
Dan’s character is described wonderfully, his anxiety and lust are beautiful and their intimate moments were quite hot and sexy and in pace with his teenage self.
If you want a quick read that will make you feel young again I think this short will do it for you. Recommended.
Thommie
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
This story is really short and is in fact a trip down to memory lane as they say.
Dan is over at his mother’s house to help her with the attic. With his boyfriend right behind him he tries to find what he’s been charged to but stumbles upon an old mix-tape that the very sight of it opens the door to one of most important teenage memories.
His first crush, a college boy named Russ, comes up from the past and Dan relives their first and only encounter.
I liked it very much, it was short and to the point and managed to successfully draw me with it while at the same time caused me to make a trip of my own back at those shy and full of emotions/hormones teenage years.
Dan’s character is described wonderfully, his anxiety and lust are beautiful and their intimate moments were quite hot and sexy and in pace with his teenage self.
If you want a quick read that will make you feel young again I think this short will do it for you. Recommended.
Thommie
February 8, 2015
It was ok story but it was a story with another guy. Dan has been with Ian over 10 years but when he finds a mix tape in his parents attic. Ian want to know why it was so special. I know people had people in the past. But yes it was just a memory that dan was drawn too with the person he was with first and tells Ian about it.
July 29, 2013
hmmm....
@gleekidMC
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