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Seasons Change #1
Let Leaves Lay Where They Fall
A contemporary autumn romance starring two heartbroken thirty something’s who’ve both sworn off dating.
Jamie pretends to be content with the single life after a sparse trail of relationships set fire to the hopeless romantic’s fairytale fantasies and validated his deepest insecurities.
Nathan avoids intimate connections that might disrupt his quiet nomadic life, preferring the companionship of his beloved bulldog Mabel—and the occasional stranger to satisfy carnal needs.
The pair meet in a nature reserve and ignite universe forces that won’t let them escape each other, no matter how hard they try.
Jamie pretends to be content with the single life after a sparse trail of relationships set fire to the hopeless romantic’s fairytale fantasies and validated his deepest insecurities.
Nathan avoids intimate connections that might disrupt his quiet nomadic life, preferring the companionship of his beloved bulldog Mabel—and the occasional stranger to satisfy carnal needs.
The pair meet in a nature reserve and ignite universe forces that won’t let them escape each other, no matter how hard they try.
337 pages, ebook
First published May 28, 2024
62 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
July 14, 2024
I wanted to love this so, so much. The premise is there. Queer adult romance in southern Maine? Sign me up.
This book needs an editor. So many incomplete sentences, spelling errors, name inconsistencies just in the first fifty pages. I couldn’t get through it.
Please please invest in a good editor! It would make a world of difference.
This book needs an editor. So many incomplete sentences, spelling errors, name inconsistencies just in the first fifty pages. I couldn’t get through it.
Please please invest in a good editor! It would make a world of difference.
June 1, 2024
I can’t believe this is a debut novel from a debut author. This MM Romance had me sad crying and happy crying. The characters were wonderful. Nathan and Jamie are real people, right? I cared so much for the characters. I was really rooting for them. And that bulldog! I want one now. This is a story of taking chances despite of one’s insecurities. Sometimes you just have to let leaves lay where they fall. Ya know? But sometimes that’s easier said than done. This strangers to lovers tale is spicy. It looks like there is going to be a book 2. So what’s up with Brendon? This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Just be ready for your heart to go on a wild ride.
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July 8, 2024DNF @ 13%
I don’t normally throw in the towel this fast, but the writing is…not for me. I know this is a debut novel, so it’s more the style of writing than the need for an editor.
My biggest nitpick, which is purely personal taste, is I tend to get the cringe at overuse of euphemisms in sex scenes. “Drooling tool”, “meaty stick”, “nutty nectar”, “sticky sweet syrup”, “manhole” 😵💫
Lots of people love this book, so take my opinion with a grain of salt ❤️
I don’t normally throw in the towel this fast, but the writing is…not for me. I know this is a debut novel, so it’s more the style of writing than the need for an editor.
My biggest nitpick, which is purely personal taste, is I tend to get the cringe at overuse of euphemisms in sex scenes. “Drooling tool”, “meaty stick”, “nutty nectar”, “sticky sweet syrup”, “manhole” 😵💫
Lots of people love this book, so take my opinion with a grain of salt ❤️
June 3, 2024
A big recommendation for this new to me author. Love the title which is actually said out loud in the story.
They write the twists and turns, ups and downs of new romance like they know it well. So many authentic details of what it’s like to be with a new person, one for whom you have feelings. A character driven story with waiter Jamie and traveling nurse Nathan and sweetie dog, Mabel. There are a lot of vivid descriptions of the two men and their sex scenes. The side characters all have their own personalities, too. There is a found family atmosphere in gay Portland, Maine where everyone seems to know each other. Grindr is almost a character in the early chapters and it was used very well in the story.
An unexpected hookup in the woods with two men never expecting to see each other again leads to a real and detailed romance. I really enjoyed it. All the side characters were wonderful! Some sad scenes had me fully crying, so get the tissues ready.
This is only the second romance that I’ve read written in third person present tense. I almost stopped when starting, but the writing was very good. I got used to it and then enjoyed it. Maybe that is what made it almost hyper emotional, the reader feels inside the narrative.
I wonder if the author uses this style in the next book? Which I will be reading.
The book needed better editing and there is some awkwardness in sentence structure and grammar.
I’m still recommending! It is different and cool!
They write the twists and turns, ups and downs of new romance like they know it well. So many authentic details of what it’s like to be with a new person, one for whom you have feelings. A character driven story with waiter Jamie and traveling nurse Nathan and sweetie dog, Mabel. There are a lot of vivid descriptions of the two men and their sex scenes. The side characters all have their own personalities, too. There is a found family atmosphere in gay Portland, Maine where everyone seems to know each other. Grindr is almost a character in the early chapters and it was used very well in the story.
An unexpected hookup in the woods with two men never expecting to see each other again leads to a real and detailed romance. I really enjoyed it. All the side characters were wonderful! Some sad scenes had me fully crying, so get the tissues ready.
This is only the second romance that I’ve read written in third person present tense. I almost stopped when starting, but the writing was very good. I got used to it and then enjoyed it. Maybe that is what made it almost hyper emotional, the reader feels inside the narrative.
I wonder if the author uses this style in the next book? Which I will be reading.
The book needed better editing and there is some awkwardness in sentence structure and grammar.
I’m still recommending! It is different and cool!
June 2, 2024
Not only is Micah’s artistry skills sharp, his writing is too!
Jamie is struggling with, well everything from body image issues, to love. He’s always wanted to find real love, so it comes as a huge surprise to him when he and glorious bear, Nathan have a truly tremendous and VERY SPICY meet!
Micah manages to weave humour and fantastic storytelling in a tight plot. There’s a rawness to this novel, like Micah has left a piece of himself on every page.
Jamie wants to find love. Nathan says he’s content with app hook up after app hook tip. But when it comes down to it, who’s going to fall for love?
Adored this book and can’t wait for Micah’s next novels!
Highly recommend!
Jamie is struggling with, well everything from body image issues, to love. He’s always wanted to find real love, so it comes as a huge surprise to him when he and glorious bear, Nathan have a truly tremendous and VERY SPICY meet!
Micah manages to weave humour and fantastic storytelling in a tight plot. There’s a rawness to this novel, like Micah has left a piece of himself on every page.
Jamie wants to find love. Nathan says he’s content with app hook up after app hook tip. But when it comes down to it, who’s going to fall for love?
Adored this book and can’t wait for Micah’s next novels!
Highly recommend!
August 27, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, the story idea was great but the editing was horrible. So many spelling and grammar errors. Then they killed the dog! That is an automatic 1 star for me but I gave 2 cause I liked Jaimie as a character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2024
This had potential. However, please seek an editor before any future releases. The typos were horribly abundant and REALLY took away from the story.
May 28, 2024
This book hit hard for me but I absolutely loved it it had me tearing up at times as I related to the story so much
I’d recommend this book to anyone it’s a great debut
I’d recommend this book to anyone it’s a great debut
October 12, 2024
3.25 stars
This was just fine. The story is sweet and cozy with a lot of emotion. I could definitely relate to Jamie and his dating struggles. I just got the vibe this book was published before it was ready? I don't typically get to annoyed by typos because it happens, but there were so many mistakes that it felt like it didn't go through much proofreading before it got put out. Also, the premise is great, and I mostly enjoyed the story, but I had a hard time feeling invested in the story. So, yeah, ultimately, this book was just fine. It's enjoyable enough, but probably not very memorable for me. I'm kind of disappointed because I expected to like this way more than I did. I will say, I loved the body positivity we get from Nathan. That's something I always love to see. I was able to relate to Jamie's character, and that's probably what got me to stay with the story.
This was just fine. The story is sweet and cozy with a lot of emotion. I could definitely relate to Jamie and his dating struggles. I just got the vibe this book was published before it was ready? I don't typically get to annoyed by typos because it happens, but there were so many mistakes that it felt like it didn't go through much proofreading before it got put out. Also, the premise is great, and I mostly enjoyed the story, but I had a hard time feeling invested in the story. So, yeah, ultimately, this book was just fine. It's enjoyable enough, but probably not very memorable for me. I'm kind of disappointed because I expected to like this way more than I did. I will say, I loved the body positivity we get from Nathan. That's something I always love to see. I was able to relate to Jamie's character, and that's probably what got me to stay with the story.
June 7, 2024
First let me just say I needed this book right now. I am in a bit of a book slump truth be told, I think I'm just feeling burnt out on all fronts. But I like having cozy, cute aesthetic books interspersed with my other reads and this one came at the perfect time! Despite the reading slump I really liked it and had a good time reading it.
This sweet, slice of life love story follows Nathan and Jamie, both a little cynical in the romance department. I will say it takes awhile for any romance to occur, probably at around the 50% mark is when they start feeling the connection, until then there isn't a lot of attachment on either side. I thought once we got to that point it was so well deserved and completely worth it. I wanted them to like each other so bad 😂
The writing style felt a bit like I was reading slam poetry sometimes. At first it tripped me up a bit but by page 10 I began really enjoying it, I felt like I was chilling next to both MCs listening to their inner thoughts as a cozy and happy way to pass the time. I enjoyed the way everything was described with care and the picture was painted so vividly. For a debut author I thought this was incredibly charming, this is one to watch in the MM romance world, and I'm already a big fan of this series.
This sweet, slice of life love story follows Nathan and Jamie, both a little cynical in the romance department. I will say it takes awhile for any romance to occur, probably at around the 50% mark is when they start feeling the connection, until then there isn't a lot of attachment on either side. I thought once we got to that point it was so well deserved and completely worth it. I wanted them to like each other so bad 😂
The writing style felt a bit like I was reading slam poetry sometimes. At first it tripped me up a bit but by page 10 I began really enjoying it, I felt like I was chilling next to both MCs listening to their inner thoughts as a cozy and happy way to pass the time. I enjoyed the way everything was described with care and the picture was painted so vividly. For a debut author I thought this was incredibly charming, this is one to watch in the MM romance world, and I'm already a big fan of this series.
June 3, 2024
This book gave me all the feels: smiles, laughs, watery eyes, a warm heart, and a ugly cry (you'll know what I'm talking about when you read.
This was one of the few times that I could actually see myself in a MM romance. I love the fact that the characters aren't cookie cutter hot studs with rippling abs and etc. Jaime and Nathan were so refreshing, I could feel as though I have a bit of Jaime in me with the body image issues and the inability to trust in myself.
I have to say that this is a book I'm going to revisit and hope that I will have more of these characters in my life. Micah you've found a loyal reader!
This was one of the few times that I could actually see myself in a MM romance. I love the fact that the characters aren't cookie cutter hot studs with rippling abs and etc. Jaime and Nathan were so refreshing, I could feel as though I have a bit of Jaime in me with the body image issues and the inability to trust in myself.
I have to say that this is a book I'm going to revisit and hope that I will have more of these characters in my life. Micah you've found a loyal reader!
dnf
October 4, 2024I love the cover of this book, but only made it about 3%. I don't know if it something editing would help with, but the writing style did not work for me and I was mostly confused. Also, I was attracted to the book bc of the body diversity on the cover, and that sliver I tried, there was so much internalized fatphobia, so . . . I'm disappointed, but hope others enjoy this more.
March 14, 2025
I can’t fully enjoy a book when the dog gets killed for the plot. Justice for Mabel!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
August 22, 2024DNFd at about 13%. I felt the writing was weak and the story not engaging enough for me to continue. And is it snobbish of me to criticize the use of "lay" in the title?
June 6, 2024
I really enjoyed Carver’s debut novel. Great characters, just the right amount of spice, and a story that was not completely predictable! I greatly appreciate that the characters were bigger guys as body representation in MM romance can be limited. The main issue with the book is that there were frequent spelling issues and punctuation errors. For example, the main character, Jamie, had his name spelled as Jaime, Janie, and a few other variations. Despite these, I am looking forward to Carver’s next novel!
September 14, 2024
3.5 stars
August 3, 2024
Oh Mable 🫶🏻
Let Leaves Lay Where They Fall
When a dating app hook-up leads to a stroll in the park, with a “happy ending”, only to get home and find yourself blocked!
Jamie likes to stay in his comfort zone, but being encouraged to put himself out there. He ends up using a dating app to plan a meet up at the park. He has never done something like this before, but what a glorious experience it was, ifthose trees could talk 😏. When he arrives home after the “happy ending” stoll through the park, he opens the app to find himself BLOCKED!
Nathan is a traveling nurse so causal tends to work best for him. No relationships, no feelings, and off to the next job. It’s just him and Mabel, his English bulldog against the world. That is until his dating app he uses to find his hook-ups pairs him with someone who could be a serious distraction for him. So after they each get what they’ve come for he instantly blocks him. No information was exchanged so he hopefully won’t see him again, well it’s a small town so that plan doesn’t work in his favor this time.
When Jamie has finally given up on finding the man who rocked his world in the woods, the universe has other plans. Said plans put The man from the woods at Jamie’s table to be waited on while he’s on what seems like a date of all things!
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was my first read for Micah and it won’t be my last, I absolutely adored Jamie and Nathan. We love a good meet cute romance, but watching Nathan grovel to win over the sweet heart of Jamie is a must!
Let Leaves Lay Where They Fall
When a dating app hook-up leads to a stroll in the park, with a “happy ending”, only to get home and find yourself blocked!
Jamie likes to stay in his comfort zone, but being encouraged to put himself out there. He ends up using a dating app to plan a meet up at the park. He has never done something like this before, but what a glorious experience it was, ifthose trees could talk 😏. When he arrives home after the “happy ending” stoll through the park, he opens the app to find himself BLOCKED!
Nathan is a traveling nurse so causal tends to work best for him. No relationships, no feelings, and off to the next job. It’s just him and Mabel, his English bulldog against the world. That is until his dating app he uses to find his hook-ups pairs him with someone who could be a serious distraction for him. So after they each get what they’ve come for he instantly blocks him. No information was exchanged so he hopefully won’t see him again, well it’s a small town so that plan doesn’t work in his favor this time.
When Jamie has finally given up on finding the man who rocked his world in the woods, the universe has other plans. Said plans put The man from the woods at Jamie’s table to be waited on while he’s on what seems like a date of all things!
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was my first read for Micah and it won’t be my last, I absolutely adored Jamie and Nathan. We love a good meet cute romance, but watching Nathan grovel to win over the sweet heart of Jamie is a must!
June 17, 2024
This debut novel is such a sweet, spicy, real book. I needed an orange cover for a challenge and I picked this up after seeing a few ads for it. I'm so glad I did.
There are a lot of characters in this book, but each are written so well and make you want to know more about them. But the book focuses on Nathan and Jamie.
Nathan is a traveling nurse who turns to Grindr to find fun hook ups and not get attached. Jamie is not a hook up guy and is afraid of getting hurt. On a whim, Jamie throws caution to the wind and hooks up with Nathan in a moment of passion.
The two men are seemingly meant to be together, as they continue to cross paths. Nathan's grieving and Jamie's self conscious selves meet to form a special relationship.
This book has a stray cat, a bulldog, open communication about love and relationships and two "normal" guys navigating "normal" body issues, friends, and situations. It's got some fun spice and takes your heart on a ride.
I am anxiously awaiting book 2!
There are a lot of characters in this book, but each are written so well and make you want to know more about them. But the book focuses on Nathan and Jamie.
Nathan is a traveling nurse who turns to Grindr to find fun hook ups and not get attached. Jamie is not a hook up guy and is afraid of getting hurt. On a whim, Jamie throws caution to the wind and hooks up with Nathan in a moment of passion.
The two men are seemingly meant to be together, as they continue to cross paths. Nathan's grieving and Jamie's self conscious selves meet to form a special relationship.
This book has a stray cat, a bulldog, open communication about love and relationships and two "normal" guys navigating "normal" body issues, friends, and situations. It's got some fun spice and takes your heart on a ride.
I am anxiously awaiting book 2!
May 26, 2024
“For everyone who's broken heart keeps them from letting love in…”
Starting with the dedication, what a way to make my chest ache. This story fo Nathan and Jamie is so real it got a little hard for me at times. That’s not a bad thing, I just have rarely (never, at all.) Read an MM story where I could see myself so clearly within characters. The insecurity, and hurt. The walls built to keep yourself safe. This is a story of hope and what it’s like to be a bigger person within the community. I truly adored this book, even when it had me tearing up.
The spice was 10/10, the romance was wonderful. Truly a great debut and I can’t wait to read the next one!!
Starting with the dedication, what a way to make my chest ache. This story fo Nathan and Jamie is so real it got a little hard for me at times. That’s not a bad thing, I just have rarely (never, at all.) Read an MM story where I could see myself so clearly within characters. The insecurity, and hurt. The walls built to keep yourself safe. This is a story of hope and what it’s like to be a bigger person within the community. I truly adored this book, even when it had me tearing up.
The spice was 10/10, the romance was wonderful. Truly a great debut and I can’t wait to read the next one!!
July 9, 2024
This book from a debut author was decent. I originally picked it up for the bulldog on the cover. The bulldog was written in a way that makes me think that the author has had one. As someone who is an avid bulldog lover (and owner), it was lovely to meet Mabel.
This book has a whole crew of characters that can get a bit confusing in scenes with large groups.
There were a few typos in the KU version of this book.
I’d consider reading more from this author.
This book has a whole crew of characters that can get a bit confusing in scenes with large groups.
There were a few typos in the KU version of this book.
I’d consider reading more from this author.
August 14, 2024
An interesting story which felt quite realistic. Jamie didn't want to give up on Nathan immediately after the latter kept their first encounter as an anonymous once off. I really felt for Jamie with his body issues. Mabel the bulldog was an absolute delight, although I'm afraid that a number of readers would have appreciated a warning that she didn't make it to the end of the book. Very good book for a debut author.
August 7, 2024
I highly recommend this book. It's a great fall book.
October 4, 2024
I really don’t need to know every detail of every scene and a play by play of every little action. I also prefer 1st person. Meh.
June 10, 2024
It’s hard to believe that ‘Let Leaves Lay Where They Fall’ is @micahcarverauthor debut novel. It is absolutely stunning.
I felt so many emotions, so deeply reading this story. I could not put it down.
We have Jamie (The Cutie) a guy with a big heart, loyal to his friends, but who’s unsure of himself and suffers with issues surrounding body image and self loathing. When he meets Nathan (The Bear) something tells him to take a chance. Nathan is gorgeous and self assured and the pair find something in each other that they are both missing.
Jamie and Nathan learn a lot from each other as they build trust and develop feelings.
Their relationship has a bit of a rocky start but ultimately they find that being apart isn’t an option.
The story is engaging. The character development is on point, and I loved the present tense style of writing.
There’s a lot of heart, a lot of self discovery, and a lot of heat too. There are definitely some spicy moments. There was also some great body positivity rep in this book and issues that were handled carefully and respectfully by the author.
There are some very emotional moments too, I won’t post spoilers but I did need tissues.
On the whole a really great read, I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Read if you like
Sweet and Spicy
Hurt/comfort
Soulmates
Possible triggers
Body image issues
Grief
I felt so many emotions, so deeply reading this story. I could not put it down.
We have Jamie (The Cutie) a guy with a big heart, loyal to his friends, but who’s unsure of himself and suffers with issues surrounding body image and self loathing. When he meets Nathan (The Bear) something tells him to take a chance. Nathan is gorgeous and self assured and the pair find something in each other that they are both missing.
Jamie and Nathan learn a lot from each other as they build trust and develop feelings.
Their relationship has a bit of a rocky start but ultimately they find that being apart isn’t an option.
The story is engaging. The character development is on point, and I loved the present tense style of writing.
There’s a lot of heart, a lot of self discovery, and a lot of heat too. There are definitely some spicy moments. There was also some great body positivity rep in this book and issues that were handled carefully and respectfully by the author.
There are some very emotional moments too, I won’t post spoilers but I did need tissues.
On the whole a really great read, I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Read if you like
Sweet and Spicy
Hurt/comfort
Soulmates
Possible triggers
Body image issues
Grief
July 6, 2024
"A fantasy world built on imagination was the best place to heal a wounded heart."
The way the characters in this story resonated with me--I was not prepared.
"Anyone who knows him would be shocked. Sweet, innocent Jamie. The hopeless romantic. Too good for frivolous hookups. Would never give himself up like some common trick. Well, it's happening. He stood proud on that chaste pedestal for so long, this feels like abandoning himself, a reverse baptism of sorts. Stripping him of the long stretch of celibacy for a rebirth into debauchery."
Jaime. The reserved, cautious gay man, all too aware of how easy it is to get hurt the moment he lets his guard down. Enter Nathan. In more ways than one.
Nathan exists on the complete opposite side of the mindset regarding casual encounters.Yet, his reasons for it are one and the same. Just a taste of Jamie--and rough night paired with nothing short of a soul-searching spirit guide dream--and he's forced to reconsider his outlook.
This book lulled me into sweet, romantic vulnerability and then hit me upside the head with full-on snot sobs. I let out an audible squeal at the end. The whimsy paired with an authentic glimpse into gay culture was magnificent, and I can't wait to read more of Micah's work.
The way the characters in this story resonated with me--I was not prepared.
"Anyone who knows him would be shocked. Sweet, innocent Jamie. The hopeless romantic. Too good for frivolous hookups. Would never give himself up like some common trick. Well, it's happening. He stood proud on that chaste pedestal for so long, this feels like abandoning himself, a reverse baptism of sorts. Stripping him of the long stretch of celibacy for a rebirth into debauchery."
Jaime. The reserved, cautious gay man, all too aware of how easy it is to get hurt the moment he lets his guard down. Enter Nathan. In more ways than one.
Nathan exists on the complete opposite side of the mindset regarding casual encounters.Yet, his reasons for it are one and the same. Just a taste of Jamie--and rough night paired with nothing short of a soul-searching spirit guide dream--and he's forced to reconsider his outlook.
This book lulled me into sweet, romantic vulnerability and then hit me upside the head with full-on snot sobs. I let out an audible squeal at the end. The whimsy paired with an authentic glimpse into gay culture was magnificent, and I can't wait to read more of Micah's work.
July 24, 2024
This is my first read of this author's work, and I'm going back in for more. First, the body sensitive issues are apparent, and dealt with in a manner that is not central to the story, but indicative of the changes in the relationship of our two key characters.
Character development was good, but I felt there was something that I missed in the reading for Nathan and his connection to a deceased character. But the energy from the text was abundantly clear that there was great devotion and connection to this past character in his life. The mysterious Andrew and whomever, as well as the collection of Jamie's work family, were all great additions to this story that included a wide range of ages.
I loved this story, and the outcome. I do believe pet death should have been listed as a trigger as having recently lost our long-lived pet unexpectedly, it flooded me with emotions.
But those emotions are part of Mr. Carver's shorthand for what's going on in our two main characters. This was a great read, and I'm off to the other books in the series.
There are some editing misses in the text, but none distract too much from the well-written story.
Character development was good, but I felt there was something that I missed in the reading for Nathan and his connection to a deceased character. But the energy from the text was abundantly clear that there was great devotion and connection to this past character in his life. The mysterious Andrew and whomever, as well as the collection of Jamie's work family, were all great additions to this story that included a wide range of ages.
I loved this story, and the outcome. I do believe pet death should have been listed as a trigger as having recently lost our long-lived pet unexpectedly, it flooded me with emotions.
But those emotions are part of Mr. Carver's shorthand for what's going on in our two main characters. This was a great read, and I'm off to the other books in the series.
There are some editing misses in the text, but none distract too much from the well-written story.
August 10, 2024
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When insecurities and fear of love collide in a beautiful show of trust and a leap of faith.
Micah gives us two guys we can absolutely relate with, that also tug at your heartstrings. A sexy encounter in a forest leads them on a bumpy collision course to love.
Jamie is a quiet guy who plays life safe. He’s a cutey but wild is not in his settings. Until Nathan. Nathan, who for some reason makes Jamie want to step out of his comfort zone.
Nathan lives his life unattached and constantly moving. It’s just him and his Bulldog Mabel (the most adorable relationship ever). Though he’s not had a problem moving on from his one-night stands, he can’t seem to forget the sweet Micah.
It really is a wonderful story, and I’m looking forward to seeing what other stories he brings us.
When insecurities and fear of love collide in a beautiful show of trust and a leap of faith.
Micah gives us two guys we can absolutely relate with, that also tug at your heartstrings. A sexy encounter in a forest leads them on a bumpy collision course to love.
Jamie is a quiet guy who plays life safe. He’s a cutey but wild is not in his settings. Until Nathan. Nathan, who for some reason makes Jamie want to step out of his comfort zone.
Nathan lives his life unattached and constantly moving. It’s just him and his Bulldog Mabel (the most adorable relationship ever). Though he’s not had a problem moving on from his one-night stands, he can’t seem to forget the sweet Micah.
It really is a wonderful story, and I’m looking forward to seeing what other stories he brings us.
November 26, 2024
So listen. First, I want to acknowledge that the folks who said this book needed some editing were not wrong. And I have dnf’d many indie books that sorely lacked an editor. But in this case the edits are for things like incorrect punctuation, an extra word here, a missing word there, a period when a comma was intended. Surface, not substance. It’s not that the book should have been 100 pages shorter or any major flaw like that. More like I was reading an ARC and one more round would have made it perfect. So, to my mind, that’s nbd.
In all other ways, this book is a delight. Both MCs are complex and endearing. The supporting characters (including Mabel!) are a lovely found family. Even the nursing rep and service work feels well researched - and I say that as a Nurse Practitioner who worked as a server for many years.
We have Jamie, sweet, a bit lonely. Struggling with significant body dysmorphia and associated restrictive eating and self-loathing. He lives with a lovely supportive roommate, works with a tag tag bunch of queer service industry weirdos, and I’m all in on him and all of them. And then we have Nathan, a travel nurse (10 points). The first time we see him he is actively taking a history, examining a patient, doing sutures - working in nursing scope!! Woo hoo! (100 points). He’s also lonely, but fighting it. He shares his life with his perfect little bulldog, Mabel and I love how hard he works to support her with her big feelings about the world. I am All. In.
Nathan also gives us the other side of body inclusivity rep. Not everyone who isn’t chiseled feels shit about their body but that’s not often what authors give us. I love this take on Nathan - he loves the way his body is changing as he ages and he (and everyone else) knows he’s an absolute *snack* because he’s thick and furry, not in spite of it. How delightful!
Their developing relationship was sweet and caring, earnest and low angst, with a ton of supportive, oddball found family and many cozy autumn activities to warm our souls. Though we do get some conflict to keep things interesting, there’s no dramatic third act break up - both MCs talk about their feelings and get over themselves quickly so we can move on to enjoying the sweet coziness of watching them be in love. Another great read from Micah Carver.
In all other ways, this book is a delight. Both MCs are complex and endearing. The supporting characters (including Mabel!) are a lovely found family. Even the nursing rep and service work feels well researched - and I say that as a Nurse Practitioner who worked as a server for many years.
We have Jamie, sweet, a bit lonely. Struggling with significant body dysmorphia and associated restrictive eating and self-loathing. He lives with a lovely supportive roommate, works with a tag tag bunch of queer service industry weirdos, and I’m all in on him and all of them. And then we have Nathan, a travel nurse (10 points). The first time we see him he is actively taking a history, examining a patient, doing sutures - working in nursing scope!! Woo hoo! (100 points). He’s also lonely, but fighting it. He shares his life with his perfect little bulldog, Mabel and I love how hard he works to support her with her big feelings about the world. I am All. In.
Nathan also gives us the other side of body inclusivity rep. Not everyone who isn’t chiseled feels shit about their body but that’s not often what authors give us. I love this take on Nathan - he loves the way his body is changing as he ages and he (and everyone else) knows he’s an absolute *snack* because he’s thick and furry, not in spite of it. How delightful!
Their developing relationship was sweet and caring, earnest and low angst, with a ton of supportive, oddball found family and many cozy autumn activities to warm our souls. Though we do get some conflict to keep things interesting, there’s no dramatic third act break up - both MCs talk about their feelings and get over themselves quickly so we can move on to enjoying the sweet coziness of watching them be in love. Another great read from Micah Carver.
September 29, 2024
Une charmante romance d'automne, loin d'être inoubliable mais tout à fait sympathique. Ce que j'apprécie ? Deux hommes "normaux, une petite ville très american dream, un chien "troisième personnage mignon comme tout et bien évidemment, des "amis" prêts à tout pour que le couple matche !
Ces deux hommes sont très différents mais ils ont une attitude en commun : fuir leur vie pour éviter d'être blessé. L'un, serveur dans le même restaurant depuis longtemps, ayant choisi le quotidien le plus tranquille et le plus monotone qui soit et l'autre, infirmier remplaçant, qui accepte des missions de quelques semaines avant de partir joyeusement poursuivre son existence itinérante. C'est une histoire de compromis (assez réaliste ce final...) avec une bonne dose d'émotion, d'humour et de chaleur.
Ces deux hommes sont très différents mais ils ont une attitude en commun : fuir leur vie pour éviter d'être blessé. L'un, serveur dans le même restaurant depuis longtemps, ayant choisi le quotidien le plus tranquille et le plus monotone qui soit et l'autre, infirmier remplaçant, qui accepte des missions de quelques semaines avant de partir joyeusement poursuivre son existence itinérante. C'est une histoire de compromis (assez réaliste ce final...) avec une bonne dose d'émotion, d'humour et de chaleur.
December 5, 2024
Nice Well Rounded Story
I enjoyed the characters, they were well-developed with backgrounds that felt realistic and understandable. There was a decent helping of steam, chemistry was palpable between the mc’s, fun supportive characters too.
This was a different writing style, I get that it was self-published but it would have benefited from editing. There were incorrect words throughout and occasional tense glitches. But superficial issues, the story flowed overall. No serious angst/drama, believable new relationship hiccups by guys who’ve been hurt before. Would love to know that Jamie got some help for his body dysmorphia, but honestly, I was glad that his issues weren’t central to the story but highlighted as part of his anxiety. Felt quite true-to-life this way. I’ll definitely read more by this author.
I enjoyed the characters, they were well-developed with backgrounds that felt realistic and understandable. There was a decent helping of steam, chemistry was palpable between the mc’s, fun supportive characters too.
This was a different writing style, I get that it was self-published but it would have benefited from editing. There were incorrect words throughout and occasional tense glitches. But superficial issues, the story flowed overall. No serious angst/drama, believable new relationship hiccups by guys who’ve been hurt before. Would love to know that Jamie got some help for his body dysmorphia, but honestly, I was glad that his issues weren’t central to the story but highlighted as part of his anxiety. Felt quite true-to-life this way. I’ll definitely read more by this author.
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