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The Avondale Stories #11
Bottoms Up
About a Bottoms: Book One
An Avondale Story
RN First Assistant Chris Bottoms enjoys being a bottom. Though abused by his stepfather as a boy and conditioned to enjoy sex only one particular way, he’s come to make the most of his life. And he enjoys bottoming—to the hilt—whenever and wherever he can.
As if colorectal cancer wasn’t enough of a trial, the subsequent botched surgery robs him of normal bodily functions—no more prostate massage for Chris. In the middle of his medical drama, his best friend, Mickey O’Donovan, accepts a promotion that brings him to live in Jacksonville. Roommates in college, they’ve remained friends and occasional fuck buddies ever since. Chris’s crisis brings their relationship to a new level, though, and long-suppressed feelings are revealed.
Chris and Mickey settle down together and life is good, even though they can no longer indulge in their favorite sexual position. But Chris can’t seem to catch a break. When his past rears its head, Chris and Mickey must face a new challenge, together.
An Avondale Story
RN First Assistant Chris Bottoms enjoys being a bottom. Though abused by his stepfather as a boy and conditioned to enjoy sex only one particular way, he’s come to make the most of his life. And he enjoys bottoming—to the hilt—whenever and wherever he can.
As if colorectal cancer wasn’t enough of a trial, the subsequent botched surgery robs him of normal bodily functions—no more prostate massage for Chris. In the middle of his medical drama, his best friend, Mickey O’Donovan, accepts a promotion that brings him to live in Jacksonville. Roommates in college, they’ve remained friends and occasional fuck buddies ever since. Chris’s crisis brings their relationship to a new level, though, and long-suppressed feelings are revealed.
Chris and Mickey settle down together and life is good, even though they can no longer indulge in their favorite sexual position. But Chris can’t seem to catch a break. When his past rears its head, Chris and Mickey must face a new challenge, together.
246 pages, ebook
Published November 19, 2013
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 2, 2016
Oh brother, I had some real issues with this book.
The blurb of this book fascinated me. I personally know a gay man who has anal cancer, and I have been very curious about the psychological and emotional aftereffects of this diagnosis. This was my first read from this author and I was pretty excited about it, to be honest. I feel so let down. This book was not at all what I expected.
I'm going to try to discuss the writing without sounding... mean. I have to say that I disliked the author's writing style right from the get go. The characters have this strange, stilted way of talking that didn't feel at all natural. It felt oddly formal and impersonal. They would just blurt out these incredibly intimate details about themselves with no emotion at all. It was almost robotic.
The other thing that bothered me were the constant time jumps. A page would read like, "He went to the diner, met someone, and they had sex. Then the next day, he ordered a sandwich and went home. Two days later..." It was odd to me how time passed almost meaninglessly in the story.
I also got confused about the constant influx of characters. There were about 10 characters introduced in a short period of time and in sort of a random fashion. I not only had trouble keeping track of who was who, but it seemed really senseless to include all of these people. Now, with talking to another reader, I discovered that this book links into another series that this author wrote, though this one is a standalone. Maybe some of these guys are from that other series? Still, I have no clue why they all were included in this story- it felt excessive.
I also was expecting a story that dealt with the emotions of this character. I want to get down and dirty- heavy and angsty (which I love!). However, this book stayed very superficial and light, which I wasn't anticipating at all.
It became so hard for me to read this that I quit at around 60%. I think the author had some really great ideas, but the execution was not up to snuff, in my opinion.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
The blurb of this book fascinated me. I personally know a gay man who has anal cancer, and I have been very curious about the psychological and emotional aftereffects of this diagnosis. This was my first read from this author and I was pretty excited about it, to be honest. I feel so let down. This book was not at all what I expected.
I'm going to try to discuss the writing without sounding... mean. I have to say that I disliked the author's writing style right from the get go. The characters have this strange, stilted way of talking that didn't feel at all natural. It felt oddly formal and impersonal. They would just blurt out these incredibly intimate details about themselves with no emotion at all. It was almost robotic.
The other thing that bothered me were the constant time jumps. A page would read like, "He went to the diner, met someone, and they had sex. Then the next day, he ordered a sandwich and went home. Two days later..." It was odd to me how time passed almost meaninglessly in the story.
I also got confused about the constant influx of characters. There were about 10 characters introduced in a short period of time and in sort of a random fashion. I not only had trouble keeping track of who was who, but it seemed really senseless to include all of these people. Now, with talking to another reader, I discovered that this book links into another series that this author wrote, though this one is a standalone. Maybe some of these guys are from that other series? Still, I have no clue why they all were included in this story- it felt excessive.
I also was expecting a story that dealt with the emotions of this character. I want to get down and dirty- heavy and angsty (which I love!). However, this book stayed very superficial and light, which I wasn't anticipating at all.
It became so hard for me to read this that I quit at around 60%. I think the author had some really great ideas, but the execution was not up to snuff, in my opinion.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
May 4, 2016
Chris Bottoms loved being assigned to his aircraft carrier as a RN First Assistant. And not just because of all those hot and horny seamen just waiting for the chance to Top his very lovely Bottom. But when the Navy reassigns him to a hospital on their base in Jacksonville, Florida, he really doesn’t have much choice but to pack his bag and go. Boy, he’ll sure miss all those seamen, though. Still, it’s not like there was going to a dearth of hot gay men in Jacksonville, and it might be nice to get some without the ever present danger of discovery. Yeah, Florida and Jacksonville might be just what he needs.
Except even he didn’t plan on finding out he has cancer. Or that the drunken surgeon–who Chris has been trying to get removed–is the one who is going to be in control of the scalpel that could save his life. Or end it right quick. Chris’s plans never included falling for his best friend. Or gaining a whole passel of crazy gay guys as new ones. Didn’t plan on houses or children or even a single picket–white or otherwise. Very little is going according to plan, but life isn’t going to say please? or may I? so Chris may just have to suck it up and dive right into the crazy mess, bottoms up.
I loved the concept of having Chris, this total bottom, forced by life and some pretty messed up circumstances, to have to face learning how to live in a body that no longer works the way he wants it to. It is clear, from early on in the novel, that Chris takes pride in his body, and his sexuality, so to take away, or weaken these key parts of his self, we really get to see just what Chris is made of. Cancer, botched surgeries, a new love that was an old and dear friend, all these things test Chris. He has to remake and relearn himself in order to survive. To see that he is not just a bottom. To know that he has the strength to fight. To understand that change is not always bad, but not always easy, either.
I’m having trouble putting into words exactly what I feel about this book. On one hand, it is not very often I read stories that deal with such heavy subjects, where there is no quick fix or easy answer. Sometimes love does not heal all wounds; and sometimes time only serves to show just how long you’re going to have to put up with some pretty messed up shit. I liked that this book said: this is life, it is dirty, messy, and sometime it really kicks you in the balls and you can either stayed curled up on the floor or you can stand up and kick life right back, twice as hard. It was a bold move to tackle this subject. And I really appreciate the chance that was taken.
On the other hand…this book never took us past the surface. There were some seriously deep emotions that (could have) lurked in this book, but like a river frozen over, we never get to feel them. All we got was a long walk over glossed over trauma, pain, and love. At times I felt like I was standing in the middle of that frozen river, jumping up and down, trying to break the ice, but it never worked, it never cracked. I could never reach anything of Chris, or Mickey, that wasn’t more than two inches from the surface.
And after reading the Afterword, where the author explicitly stated that “Some people may like to read about pain and suffering, but I don’t like to write about it, and see no need to dwell on same,” I felt equal parts cheated and annoyed. While I understand it is the author’s right to write whatever the hell he chooses, in the way that he chooses, by ignoring the pain and the suffering, he killed something in the story for me. Something that had so much freaking potential that I was longing to read. When I was not allowed to feel the lows, the highs became farcical and shallow. Everything was forced into a middle ground of half-hearted shrugs and It’s only a flesh wound replies. And every time we came close to a flash of genuine distress or emotion, it was quickly rushed over. I don’t want to glory in Chris’s pain, but I would like to know that it was there, that it was a struggle, and that it will take an effort to overcome it. I don’t want angst, but I need emotion.
I also need to not feel like I was dragged through a 250 page commercial for Jacksonville, Florida. Setting a scene is important. Letting a reader feel like a place is real and that it has roots that are barely touched on, but go deep, is essential. Giving the reader a lecture on every building, place, and person that you come into contact with in the story, was just annoying. Especially when it makes absolutely no sense in context with the story, or made the dialogue seem like the characters were just reciting lines at each other. And while I now know, in detail, what restaurants to frequent, and what to order in them, if I ever happen to visit Jacksonville, there were times when I really started to wonder if the character was going to turn to camera, give a flashy smile, hold up his plate and say “Five Points–where the pizza’s so good you could eat the plate!” before winking and then going about his dinner like it was some ad in a 50’s TV show. When your reader spends half the book wondering if there was an ad buy-in for your novel, it is probably not a good thing. And, to be honest, sometimes it came across like it was spending so much time trying to sell the city that it forgot to sell the story.
This book and I did not agree on much. I found parts of it doubtful–I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to speak like that to a superior officer no matter how friendly they want to be. Other parts dubious–they just cut out a sizable chunk of your digestive system and you’re chowing down on subs and pizza? And let’s just say that if you have never read any of the other books in the Avondale collection–which I haven’t–the pure overload of cameos from previous Avondale MCs is both confusing and a tad bit boring. I don’t know these people, and despite a detailed backstory for each character introduced (and who, seriously, after knowing a guy for like five minutes, starts to talk about how you’ve got your cock blown off? TMI, dude, TMI), I felt no connection to them, so I was unsure why they were in Chris’s story, except maybe to serve as a call back.
Bottoms Up certainly had some great potential, but for me it was wasted on avoiding the issues, instead of conquering them, and selling me a city, not a story. Maybe someone who has enjoyed the previous books in the Avondale series will like seeing all the various MCs again, who knows. I’m glad Chris got his HEA, but the journey to get there seemed rather farfetched to me.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Except even he didn’t plan on finding out he has cancer. Or that the drunken surgeon–who Chris has been trying to get removed–is the one who is going to be in control of the scalpel that could save his life. Or end it right quick. Chris’s plans never included falling for his best friend. Or gaining a whole passel of crazy gay guys as new ones. Didn’t plan on houses or children or even a single picket–white or otherwise. Very little is going according to plan, but life isn’t going to say please? or may I? so Chris may just have to suck it up and dive right into the crazy mess, bottoms up.
I loved the concept of having Chris, this total bottom, forced by life and some pretty messed up circumstances, to have to face learning how to live in a body that no longer works the way he wants it to. It is clear, from early on in the novel, that Chris takes pride in his body, and his sexuality, so to take away, or weaken these key parts of his self, we really get to see just what Chris is made of. Cancer, botched surgeries, a new love that was an old and dear friend, all these things test Chris. He has to remake and relearn himself in order to survive. To see that he is not just a bottom. To know that he has the strength to fight. To understand that change is not always bad, but not always easy, either.
I’m having trouble putting into words exactly what I feel about this book. On one hand, it is not very often I read stories that deal with such heavy subjects, where there is no quick fix or easy answer. Sometimes love does not heal all wounds; and sometimes time only serves to show just how long you’re going to have to put up with some pretty messed up shit. I liked that this book said: this is life, it is dirty, messy, and sometime it really kicks you in the balls and you can either stayed curled up on the floor or you can stand up and kick life right back, twice as hard. It was a bold move to tackle this subject. And I really appreciate the chance that was taken.
On the other hand…this book never took us past the surface. There were some seriously deep emotions that (could have) lurked in this book, but like a river frozen over, we never get to feel them. All we got was a long walk over glossed over trauma, pain, and love. At times I felt like I was standing in the middle of that frozen river, jumping up and down, trying to break the ice, but it never worked, it never cracked. I could never reach anything of Chris, or Mickey, that wasn’t more than two inches from the surface.
And after reading the Afterword, where the author explicitly stated that “Some people may like to read about pain and suffering, but I don’t like to write about it, and see no need to dwell on same,” I felt equal parts cheated and annoyed. While I understand it is the author’s right to write whatever the hell he chooses, in the way that he chooses, by ignoring the pain and the suffering, he killed something in the story for me. Something that had so much freaking potential that I was longing to read. When I was not allowed to feel the lows, the highs became farcical and shallow. Everything was forced into a middle ground of half-hearted shrugs and It’s only a flesh wound replies. And every time we came close to a flash of genuine distress or emotion, it was quickly rushed over. I don’t want to glory in Chris’s pain, but I would like to know that it was there, that it was a struggle, and that it will take an effort to overcome it. I don’t want angst, but I need emotion.
I also need to not feel like I was dragged through a 250 page commercial for Jacksonville, Florida. Setting a scene is important. Letting a reader feel like a place is real and that it has roots that are barely touched on, but go deep, is essential. Giving the reader a lecture on every building, place, and person that you come into contact with in the story, was just annoying. Especially when it makes absolutely no sense in context with the story, or made the dialogue seem like the characters were just reciting lines at each other. And while I now know, in detail, what restaurants to frequent, and what to order in them, if I ever happen to visit Jacksonville, there were times when I really started to wonder if the character was going to turn to camera, give a flashy smile, hold up his plate and say “Five Points–where the pizza’s so good you could eat the plate!” before winking and then going about his dinner like it was some ad in a 50’s TV show. When your reader spends half the book wondering if there was an ad buy-in for your novel, it is probably not a good thing. And, to be honest, sometimes it came across like it was spending so much time trying to sell the city that it forgot to sell the story.
This book and I did not agree on much. I found parts of it doubtful–I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to speak like that to a superior officer no matter how friendly they want to be. Other parts dubious–they just cut out a sizable chunk of your digestive system and you’re chowing down on subs and pizza? And let’s just say that if you have never read any of the other books in the Avondale collection–which I haven’t–the pure overload of cameos from previous Avondale MCs is both confusing and a tad bit boring. I don’t know these people, and despite a detailed backstory for each character introduced (and who, seriously, after knowing a guy for like five minutes, starts to talk about how you’ve got your cock blown off? TMI, dude, TMI), I felt no connection to them, so I was unsure why they were in Chris’s story, except maybe to serve as a call back.
Bottoms Up certainly had some great potential, but for me it was wasted on avoiding the issues, instead of conquering them, and selling me a city, not a story. Maybe someone who has enjoyed the previous books in the Avondale series will like seeing all the various MCs again, who knows. I’m glad Chris got his HEA, but the journey to get there seemed rather farfetched to me.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
September 4, 2016
Another winner by Etienne.
Chris Bottoms is a dedicated bottom, due to having been sexually abused by his stepfather at a young age. When colorectal surgery leaves him unable to receive prostate massage, it takes counseling and an understanding lover to get him over that problem.
A surgeon who'd been drinking accidentally cut an important nerve during the surgery, leaving Chris unable to relieve himself normally. It takes him a while, and he suffers a few emotional setbacks along the way, but he eventually comes to terms with his problem and gets on with his life, aided by his former college roommate and longtime friend/fuck buddy Mickey.
Chris's medical crisis brings their relationship to a head and when long-supressed feelings are revealed, Chris and Mickey settle down to build a life together.
Then Chris's past rears its ugly head, and he flies to his mother's deathbed. (He hadn't had any contact with his mother for nearly fifteen years), where he learns that he has a halfbrother who is nine, going on ten. He agrees, with Mickey's enthusiastic support, to raise his little brother, and, after his mother's funeral they fly home to begin life as a family.
Etienne deals with the medical problems lightly, as he should, if for no other reason than to be mindful of the sensibilities of the man whose medical story he is telling.
Yes, truth is often stranger than fiction, and, as he explains in the afterword, the medical portions of the story are based on the life experiences of a man with whom Etienne is personally acquainted. In fact the book is dedicated to that man.
I, for one, can't imagine having to deal with the dual problems of an ostomy bag and self-catheterization every day of my life.
As always, Etienne writes in a clear and straightforward style. (You won't find purple or even semi-purple prose in his books). Instead of using three words when one will do, like some authors he takes the other path and uses few words. But always with complete sentences and revealing a vocabulary that might be over some readers' heads.
This reviewer has a well-earned degree in English Literature, and I'm here to tell you that, despite what some readers might consider a sometimes sparse style, there's enough information about the main characters that I could easily write a term paper on either of them.
Chris Bottoms is a dedicated bottom, due to having been sexually abused by his stepfather at a young age. When colorectal surgery leaves him unable to receive prostate massage, it takes counseling and an understanding lover to get him over that problem.
A surgeon who'd been drinking accidentally cut an important nerve during the surgery, leaving Chris unable to relieve himself normally. It takes him a while, and he suffers a few emotional setbacks along the way, but he eventually comes to terms with his problem and gets on with his life, aided by his former college roommate and longtime friend/fuck buddy Mickey.
Chris's medical crisis brings their relationship to a head and when long-supressed feelings are revealed, Chris and Mickey settle down to build a life together.
Then Chris's past rears its ugly head, and he flies to his mother's deathbed. (He hadn't had any contact with his mother for nearly fifteen years), where he learns that he has a halfbrother who is nine, going on ten. He agrees, with Mickey's enthusiastic support, to raise his little brother, and, after his mother's funeral they fly home to begin life as a family.
Etienne deals with the medical problems lightly, as he should, if for no other reason than to be mindful of the sensibilities of the man whose medical story he is telling.
Yes, truth is often stranger than fiction, and, as he explains in the afterword, the medical portions of the story are based on the life experiences of a man with whom Etienne is personally acquainted. In fact the book is dedicated to that man.
I, for one, can't imagine having to deal with the dual problems of an ostomy bag and self-catheterization every day of my life.
As always, Etienne writes in a clear and straightforward style. (You won't find purple or even semi-purple prose in his books). Instead of using three words when one will do, like some authors he takes the other path and uses few words. But always with complete sentences and revealing a vocabulary that might be over some readers' heads.
This reviewer has a well-earned degree in English Literature, and I'm here to tell you that, despite what some readers might consider a sometimes sparse style, there's enough information about the main characters that I could easily write a term paper on either of them.
November 22, 2013
This was a good story with rather bad writing. The dialogue was stiff and inorganic, and the narrative felt dry.
Full review on Booklikes.
Full review on Booklikes.
November 22, 2013
Original Blog Post: http://headouttheoven.blogspot.com/20...
Chris Bottoms is a bottom, plain and simple, but he is no twink. He lives up to his name by enjoying his bottoming to whatever heights he can obtain it from. However, always at the back of his mind, he is getting tired of all these activities and just wants one man to live and enjoy life with.
Mickey has always been Chris' best friend, ever since they met as college roommates. He is just as promiscuous as Chris but he also hides a secret. He is in love with Chris but does not know how or what to do about it. Will Chris return his love should he find out?
When Chris calls Mickey in tears about his colorectal cancer, Mickey drops everything. He jumps at this one chance and takes it by its horns. This life threatening disease opens their eyes to their mutual love and they may just find their happily ever after.
The romance between Chris and Mickey was a given, yes, but it was Mickey's approach to the pain his partner was going through that really saved the day. He looked past the mutilations the operation left on Chris' body, past the pain that was obviously felt, and past the difficulties it may have on their sex life. He just wanted to live his life with Chris as a partner, as a lover.
As Chris and Mickey start their life together, they also have to fight through a malpractice suit and finally a death. Although the first one ended in their favor, it is the second that leaves them confused and scared. How do they approach this? They have a bunch of friends who will help them out but what about the rest of it? What other life challenges are they going to have to go through before they finally relax and enjoy life?
Bottoms Up is the first of the trilogy, About A Bottoms. The story of Chris who goes through a life threatening and painful ordeal only to find that life can get better and at the same time, can throw a curve ball that can ruin it all. His strength is not only physical, it is emotional and psychological, thanks to a fantastic support group that includes his loving partner and his new found friends from the Avondale series.
Etienne's approach to difficult topics is outstanding. He claims to gloss over the horrifying and painful details and yet the readers will clearly get the feel of these. Unlike other authors, he touches on very difficult subject matters that can scare many and yet intrigue the rest. I myself have always loved his style and must say that not only did he write with conviction and authority, but also with kindness. It is in this one book that I cried to an Etienne book. The first time!
The succeeding books will deal with a life changing corrective surgery that can improve Chris' life and Mickey's and finally deal with the aftermath of an operation that can change everything.
As this is only the beginning of the journey for Chris and Mickey, obviously we readers are going to have to deal with a happy, albeit hanging, ending. This is an HEA series so they do stay with each other. What we need to be ready for are the challenges both these men will face together.
It was quite fun to read all about the guys of Avondale again, and I am honestly glad Deb got her chance to show us a bit of humor. The gang embraces Chris and Mickey into their arms and just shows us that, come what may, a great support group is the best kind of family.
Bottoms Up is a great installment to the Avondale series and best of all, the men and kids do evolve and become better individuals. It is also beautiful that the real life Chris was willing to share his ordeals living with colorectal cancer. Thank you, Ken, for sharing your life.
I will definitely be on the look out for the next books!
Note: Readers are spared the pain of reading through the exact pains Chris went through and I am relieved. I really don't want to read about things like post-op recovery blues where nausea is foremost and outstanding and having to stand for the first time feeling as if the innards are going to leap out of the body or that first effort to get done the bodily functions that could not only be embarrassing but painful as hell! Thank you for sparing us the details. (oops, I did not, sorry.)
Chris Bottoms is a bottom, plain and simple, but he is no twink. He lives up to his name by enjoying his bottoming to whatever heights he can obtain it from. However, always at the back of his mind, he is getting tired of all these activities and just wants one man to live and enjoy life with.
Mickey has always been Chris' best friend, ever since they met as college roommates. He is just as promiscuous as Chris but he also hides a secret. He is in love with Chris but does not know how or what to do about it. Will Chris return his love should he find out?
When Chris calls Mickey in tears about his colorectal cancer, Mickey drops everything. He jumps at this one chance and takes it by its horns. This life threatening disease opens their eyes to their mutual love and they may just find their happily ever after.
The romance between Chris and Mickey was a given, yes, but it was Mickey's approach to the pain his partner was going through that really saved the day. He looked past the mutilations the operation left on Chris' body, past the pain that was obviously felt, and past the difficulties it may have on their sex life. He just wanted to live his life with Chris as a partner, as a lover.
As Chris and Mickey start their life together, they also have to fight through a malpractice suit and finally a death. Although the first one ended in their favor, it is the second that leaves them confused and scared. How do they approach this? They have a bunch of friends who will help them out but what about the rest of it? What other life challenges are they going to have to go through before they finally relax and enjoy life?
Bottoms Up is the first of the trilogy, About A Bottoms. The story of Chris who goes through a life threatening and painful ordeal only to find that life can get better and at the same time, can throw a curve ball that can ruin it all. His strength is not only physical, it is emotional and psychological, thanks to a fantastic support group that includes his loving partner and his new found friends from the Avondale series.
Etienne's approach to difficult topics is outstanding. He claims to gloss over the horrifying and painful details and yet the readers will clearly get the feel of these. Unlike other authors, he touches on very difficult subject matters that can scare many and yet intrigue the rest. I myself have always loved his style and must say that not only did he write with conviction and authority, but also with kindness. It is in this one book that I cried to an Etienne book. The first time!
The succeeding books will deal with a life changing corrective surgery that can improve Chris' life and Mickey's and finally deal with the aftermath of an operation that can change everything.
As this is only the beginning of the journey for Chris and Mickey, obviously we readers are going to have to deal with a happy, albeit hanging, ending. This is an HEA series so they do stay with each other. What we need to be ready for are the challenges both these men will face together.
It was quite fun to read all about the guys of Avondale again, and I am honestly glad Deb got her chance to show us a bit of humor. The gang embraces Chris and Mickey into their arms and just shows us that, come what may, a great support group is the best kind of family.
Bottoms Up is a great installment to the Avondale series and best of all, the men and kids do evolve and become better individuals. It is also beautiful that the real life Chris was willing to share his ordeals living with colorectal cancer. Thank you, Ken, for sharing your life.
I will definitely be on the look out for the next books!
Note: Readers are spared the pain of reading through the exact pains Chris went through and I am relieved. I really don't want to read about things like post-op recovery blues where nausea is foremost and outstanding and having to stand for the first time feeling as if the innards are going to leap out of the body or that first effort to get done the bodily functions that could not only be embarrassing but painful as hell! Thank you for sparing us the details. (oops, I did not, sorry.)
February 5, 2021
I was really looking forward to this one but was disappointed. For me the author’s writing style is flat, includes too much extraneous detail, and has a definite “close the bedroom door in your face” element.
November 26, 2013
3 1/2 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
Chris loves being a bottom, conditioned from long years of abuse he can only really get off with prostate massage but he makes the most of it at every opportunity. But then, he gets bad news, colon cancer, and it gets worse when the operation is botched and Chris's bodily functions are no longer his own to control. Mickey has been Chris's best friend since college and Chris's medical diagnosis has him admitting his true feelings to Chris and finding out he wasn't the only one hiding his true feelings. Together they go forward with their new life and things are good but they get a surprise when Chris's past rears it's head and they have new decisions to make.
This was quite a good story that shows that the world doesn't end after surgery and that life can be fulfilling when changes need to be made. Chris is a very sexually active RN First Class and he loves being aboard a carrier with all the available men, being shipped to another station finds him making many friends who are there for him when he gets the bad news. Mickey is the man who has been a constant in his life since college, and now is no different. Taking a promotion and confessing his feelings has him getting his hearts desire and he holds Chris up as Chris faces the complications and the reality of his life.
This really is a great book that shows us the harsh realities but glosses over the details of a surgery that is botched, it shows the strong men who deal with it the best they can and then plow on with their lives together. Both Chris and Mickey are great characters, we follow them along as they make a new life together and deal with their problems in a timely manner, accepting change with help from other quarters and dealing with a big surprise in the only way they know how and then facing the shock of the situation.
I have read many of Etienne's books and his writing style isn't for everyone, he brings us stories about some hard hitting subjects of which child abuse, cancer and botch surgery are in this story, he gives us enough to know the pain that has been suffered without forcing us to endure it also and he gives us stories about everyday men with the everyday existence of their lives. There isn't excitement thrown in to titillate or great love scenes to get you hot, there is just the story told in a fashion that interests without overwhelming the reader and makes you wonder what will happen next in Chris and Mickey's life. We are treated to some wonderful settings with many of the characters from the various Avondale stories, we see Dan and Mickey building a life together and being happy despite what has befallen Chris.
I recommend this if you want an interesting story, men admitting how they really feel, love that sticks through thick and thin, and a story that leaves you wondering what happens next.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
Chris loves being a bottom, conditioned from long years of abuse he can only really get off with prostate massage but he makes the most of it at every opportunity. But then, he gets bad news, colon cancer, and it gets worse when the operation is botched and Chris's bodily functions are no longer his own to control. Mickey has been Chris's best friend since college and Chris's medical diagnosis has him admitting his true feelings to Chris and finding out he wasn't the only one hiding his true feelings. Together they go forward with their new life and things are good but they get a surprise when Chris's past rears it's head and they have new decisions to make.
This was quite a good story that shows that the world doesn't end after surgery and that life can be fulfilling when changes need to be made. Chris is a very sexually active RN First Class and he loves being aboard a carrier with all the available men, being shipped to another station finds him making many friends who are there for him when he gets the bad news. Mickey is the man who has been a constant in his life since college, and now is no different. Taking a promotion and confessing his feelings has him getting his hearts desire and he holds Chris up as Chris faces the complications and the reality of his life.
This really is a great book that shows us the harsh realities but glosses over the details of a surgery that is botched, it shows the strong men who deal with it the best they can and then plow on with their lives together. Both Chris and Mickey are great characters, we follow them along as they make a new life together and deal with their problems in a timely manner, accepting change with help from other quarters and dealing with a big surprise in the only way they know how and then facing the shock of the situation.
I have read many of Etienne's books and his writing style isn't for everyone, he brings us stories about some hard hitting subjects of which child abuse, cancer and botch surgery are in this story, he gives us enough to know the pain that has been suffered without forcing us to endure it also and he gives us stories about everyday men with the everyday existence of their lives. There isn't excitement thrown in to titillate or great love scenes to get you hot, there is just the story told in a fashion that interests without overwhelming the reader and makes you wonder what will happen next in Chris and Mickey's life. We are treated to some wonderful settings with many of the characters from the various Avondale stories, we see Dan and Mickey building a life together and being happy despite what has befallen Chris.
I recommend this if you want an interesting story, men admitting how they really feel, love that sticks through thick and thin, and a story that leaves you wondering what happens next.
December 16, 2013
So shallow!!!
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