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Fire Inside
After ten years as an active duty Marine, Captain Eric Ramos is rejoining civilian life. His first job is chauffeuring, assisting, and generally keeping track of NBA young gun Tyler Haley. Tyler’s had a rough few months, and his team owner is convinced he needs some hand-holding if he’s going to keep delivering wins for the St. Louis Fire Foxes.
Instead of the arrogant, over-privileged athlete Eric expected, Tyler is a big, blond, lonely twenty-three-year-old who needs more than just an employee to keep him in line. While taking care of Tyler, Eric changes from employee to friend, to something more. And when Eric realizes that something is burning the kid up from the inside out, he's determined to find a way to help him before Tyler’s carefully constructed facade turns to ash.
Instead of the arrogant, over-privileged athlete Eric expected, Tyler is a big, blond, lonely twenty-three-year-old who needs more than just an employee to keep him in line. While taking care of Tyler, Eric changes from employee to friend, to something more. And when Eric realizes that something is burning the kid up from the inside out, he's determined to find a way to help him before Tyler’s carefully constructed facade turns to ash.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2014
5 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Dawn Douglas
17 books20 followersDawn Douglas lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She realized she wasn't in Kansas anymore when she went to a meeting of her local Democratic party and she and the organizer were the only ones there! Dawn was a reporter for several years but now works in marketing. Next to spending time with her husband and daughter, writing anything from freelance news features to fiction is her favorite thing to do. In 2010, Dawn placed third in a national humor writing competition sponsored by News Portal Corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
November 14, 2014
this was, to put it delicately, a disappointment.
the start was a deliciously tropey crackfest of yummy foolishness, so it was easy to overlook conceptual niggles.
but somewhere around the 75 percent mark i realized that if i didn't stop reading at once i would spend the next two hours shitting on this book in a review twice as long as the story because i was already angry at someone else.
so i took a nap.
finished the book.
hated it just as much as before.
but at least my dignity remains intact, yeah?
this story disintegrated in a gigantic fireball of dafuqery like downtown tokyo in akira.
just like the last time i thought having sex with my ex was a reasonable compromise between my dick and my heart, only the beginning was any good for me at all.
the start was a deliciously tropey crackfest of yummy foolishness, so it was easy to overlook conceptual niggles.
but somewhere around the 75 percent mark i realized that if i didn't stop reading at once i would spend the next two hours shitting on this book in a review twice as long as the story because i was already angry at someone else.
so i took a nap.
finished the book.
hated it just as much as before.
but at least my dignity remains intact, yeah?
this story disintegrated in a gigantic fireball of dafuqery like downtown tokyo in akira.
just like the last time i thought having sex with my ex was a reasonable compromise between my dick and my heart, only the beginning was any good for me at all.
August 6, 2016
Look at all those tags, damn it. I WANTED to love this book. And I liked the story, but it tried to do too much in too few pages, and it sort of flopped at the end. Which, HELL to the NO, was so fucking disappointing.
Ram is an ex-Marine serving as a body guard/personal assistant to NBA prodigy Tyler, aka Blondie. Tyler has some serious sexual hangups. He's socially awkward and feels shame about his sexual desires. Ram, 10 years Tyler's senior, isn't exactly out and proud, but he doesn't hide the fact that he's gay either. Ram narrates this story in the first-person POV, and we see right away that his feelings for Tyler are more than he bargained for.
I loved the idea of an ex-military hardass and pro athlete getting together. I really loved Tyler. He was sweet and so vulnerable. I liked Ram too. I loved how protective he was of Tyler. I would have liked more relationship development on page and more steam too (there's no sex on page here, just one mild scene at the end). The MCs don't truly get together until the last chapter, and the story ends abruptly and feels incomplete. So many questions are left unanswered.
*pouts hard*
The author wrote a "note" (NOT an epilogue) at the end, where she states that these are her characters and she can do what she wants with them; then she narrates a sweeping, wherethefuckdidthiscomefrom? HEA in a few sentences.
Her justification is that she set out to write a novella, not a novel. EXCUSE ME, BUT WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK?
NO, just NO. It's not okay to leave your readers hanging like that because you are lazy had writer's block. Another chapter and an epilogue (a real one!) would have boosted this book to 4 stars for me.
Ram is an ex-Marine serving as a body guard/personal assistant to NBA prodigy Tyler, aka Blondie. Tyler has some serious sexual hangups. He's socially awkward and feels shame about his sexual desires. Ram, 10 years Tyler's senior, isn't exactly out and proud, but he doesn't hide the fact that he's gay either. Ram narrates this story in the first-person POV, and we see right away that his feelings for Tyler are more than he bargained for.
I loved the idea of an ex-military hardass and pro athlete getting together. I really loved Tyler. He was sweet and so vulnerable. I liked Ram too. I loved how protective he was of Tyler. I would have liked more relationship development on page and more steam too (there's no sex on page here, just one mild scene at the end). The MCs don't truly get together until the last chapter, and the story ends abruptly and feels incomplete. So many questions are left unanswered.
*pouts hard*
The author wrote a "note" (NOT an epilogue) at the end, where she states that these are her characters and she can do what she wants with them; then she narrates a sweeping, wherethefuckdidthiscomefrom? HEA in a few sentences.
Her justification is that she set out to write a novella, not a novel. EXCUSE ME, BUT WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK?
NO, just NO. It's not okay to leave your readers hanging like that because you
June 4, 2014
So, as I was finishing up this book, I was starting to think of my review. I was pretty set on giving it 2 stars and had my reasons for being a bit disappointed in the story and the characters. But then, the author added her own unusual epilogue, written from HER POV, and let us know how the MC's story ends. They're her characters, so she gets to play with them how she wants! Yeah! So, in the end, she blew my rating and my major reason for being disappointed in the story out of the water. I'm not going to spoil it, so you'll have to read it to find out.
I liked this book, but did not love it. There was a LOT of angst here but not enough sex/lust/love to balance it out and make the angst palatable for me to be kid-in-a-candy-store happy.
I can recommend this to those who thrive on the hardcore psychological angst, but would probably have others pass or check other reviews before buying/reading. This is not one I would read again.
2 stars from me, but an extra star for the unique epilogue that answered a big disappointment in the story for me.
June 8, 2014
3.5 stars
One thing, the blurb totally sold me – which was why I requested for the ARC. What can I say, the idea of a Marine who falls for a lonely 23-year-old was just too good to pass up.
And for the most part, I enjoyed this. Ram had a humorous tone to his narration and it was such a delight to read his determination not to fall for Tyler – which of course, simply failed. Spectacularly. Tyler was lovely and vulnerable and raised the protective side from Ram. If Tyler looked sad or like ‘a-kicked-puppy’, that just did things to Ram’s inside. It just made me smile. It was a nice balance because you could feel the angst pouring from Tyler.
The ending though … now THAT can be either the ‘break it’ or ‘make it’ for readers. The truth was, the ending was very abrupt. There were things left unanswered and it was at-most a HFN ending, which made the story feel, well, unfinished. I think it will definitely frustrate readers who prefer closure.
HOWEVER, Ms. Douglas also added this “sort-of-epilogue” titled “Author’s Note”, in which she explained her reasons and provided the ‘supposedly-real-ending’ to justify her decision. On one hand, I didn’t think it would give much satisfaction (it would seem like she was having a problem tying up her story and decided to take a short cut). On the other hand, I thought it was kind of a cheeky move to do, and well, it was a nice ‘real’ ending.
So your reading experience will highly be decided by how you took the ending. As for me, I was in a good mood when reading this. I ended up liking the cheeky move. It will probably be the most memorable thing when people ask me about this story in the future…
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
One thing, the blurb totally sold me – which was why I requested for the ARC. What can I say, the idea of a Marine who falls for a lonely 23-year-old was just too good to pass up.
And for the most part, I enjoyed this. Ram had a humorous tone to his narration and it was such a delight to read his determination not to fall for Tyler – which of course, simply failed. Spectacularly. Tyler was lovely and vulnerable and raised the protective side from Ram. If Tyler looked sad or like ‘a-kicked-puppy’, that just did things to Ram’s inside. It just made me smile. It was a nice balance because you could feel the angst pouring from Tyler.
The ending though … now THAT can be either the ‘break it’ or ‘make it’ for readers. The truth was, the ending was very abrupt. There were things left unanswered and it was at-most a HFN ending, which made the story feel, well, unfinished. I think it will definitely frustrate readers who prefer closure.
HOWEVER, Ms. Douglas also added this “sort-of-epilogue” titled “Author’s Note”, in which she explained her reasons and provided the ‘supposedly-real-ending’ to justify her decision. On one hand, I didn’t think it would give much satisfaction (it would seem like she was having a problem tying up her story and decided to take a short cut). On the other hand, I thought it was kind of a cheeky move to do, and well, it was a nice ‘real’ ending.
So your reading experience will highly be decided by how you took the ending. As for me, I was in a good mood when reading this. I ended up liking the cheeky move. It will probably be the most memorable thing when people ask me about this story in the future…
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
April 20, 2015
Note: This audiobook was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.
Contains plot information that may be a spoiler for some.
Having served ten years in the Marines, the former Captain Eric Ramos is trying civilian life. His first job interview is to be companion, driver, and personal assistant to Tyler Haley, a rising young NBA star. At the job interview, the team’s owner asks him outright if he is gay. When she finally admits that she’s asking because of problems that have plagued Tyler’s companions in the past—mostly due to having sex with the “gutter groupies” who hang onto the players after every game, Ram admits that he is. Thrilled to have someone who can focus on Tyler, she hires him on the spot.
Tyler was drafted right out of high school and is now twenty-three. He doesn’t have a lot of friends on the team because the older guys with experience are married and hang out together and the younger guys don’t have the experience Tyler has and they want to party all the time, something Tyler doesn’t want to do.
Right from the start, Ram puts Tyler’s needs first and the two form a tentative friendship. When it becomes clear that Tyler never goes out with women and prefers not to attend parties or other social events, they find things to do at home. Ram begins to notice some of Tyler’s physical reactions when Ram gets into his personal space, leading him to think that Tyler may be gay but that he might be repressing his sexuality.
Tyler is a sweetheart, and it’s easy for Ram to enjoy their time together. He calls Tyler “Blondie” and they are constant companions when Tyler is in town. Then when he’s away, they start to text each other and continue their friendship long distance. Ram is forced to confront his own growing feelings for Tyler, but he refuses to act on them. It’s evident that something is really bothering Tyler every time the topic of sexuality comes up and it isn’t until Tyler breaks down after losing a home game that Ram finally learns the truth of Tyler’s past and the issues that are keeping him from living his life as a gay man. The two will need to work together to help Tyler if he has any chance for a happy future.
This was a nice story and I enjoyed Randy Fuller’s narration. The voice he gave Tyler reminded me of a “twink” teenager though, and I would think that anyone six foot seven inches tall would have a deeper voice. On the other hand, Ram’s voice was spot-on and he did a good job with the secondary characters, so it was only a minor negative for me.
This was a fairly short audiobook and I’d recommend to those who enjoy stories about men who struggle to come to terms with their sexuality and to those who like a long, slow burn romance because there was no intimacy in this book until the very end.
3.5 stars
Contains plot information that may be a spoiler for some.
Having served ten years in the Marines, the former Captain Eric Ramos is trying civilian life. His first job interview is to be companion, driver, and personal assistant to Tyler Haley, a rising young NBA star. At the job interview, the team’s owner asks him outright if he is gay. When she finally admits that she’s asking because of problems that have plagued Tyler’s companions in the past—mostly due to having sex with the “gutter groupies” who hang onto the players after every game, Ram admits that he is. Thrilled to have someone who can focus on Tyler, she hires him on the spot.
Tyler was drafted right out of high school and is now twenty-three. He doesn’t have a lot of friends on the team because the older guys with experience are married and hang out together and the younger guys don’t have the experience Tyler has and they want to party all the time, something Tyler doesn’t want to do.
Right from the start, Ram puts Tyler’s needs first and the two form a tentative friendship. When it becomes clear that Tyler never goes out with women and prefers not to attend parties or other social events, they find things to do at home. Ram begins to notice some of Tyler’s physical reactions when Ram gets into his personal space, leading him to think that Tyler may be gay but that he might be repressing his sexuality.
Tyler is a sweetheart, and it’s easy for Ram to enjoy their time together. He calls Tyler “Blondie” and they are constant companions when Tyler is in town. Then when he’s away, they start to text each other and continue their friendship long distance. Ram is forced to confront his own growing feelings for Tyler, but he refuses to act on them. It’s evident that something is really bothering Tyler every time the topic of sexuality comes up and it isn’t until Tyler breaks down after losing a home game that Ram finally learns the truth of Tyler’s past and the issues that are keeping him from living his life as a gay man. The two will need to work together to help Tyler if he has any chance for a happy future.
This was a nice story and I enjoyed Randy Fuller’s narration. The voice he gave Tyler reminded me of a “twink” teenager though, and I would think that anyone six foot seven inches tall would have a deeper voice. On the other hand, Ram’s voice was spot-on and he did a good job with the secondary characters, so it was only a minor negative for me.
This was a fairly short audiobook and I’d recommend to those who enjoy stories about men who struggle to come to terms with their sexuality and to those who like a long, slow burn romance because there was no intimacy in this book until the very end.
3.5 stars
July 1, 2014
After being drafted to the NBA right out of high school, Tyler Haley has had to learn some very hard lessons. Since he was betrayed by almost every single member of his entourage, his manager has decided to make some changes. After completing one of the strangest interviews in the world, Eric Ramos finds himself the newly appointed bodyguard/chauffeur for Tyler Haley. As a former Marine, he knows he can protect Tyler but what he didn’t know was how he was going to protect himself once he laid eyes on his new employer.
Tyler seems to be starved for attention. The smallest things Eric does for him, like cooking, mean so very much to the young man. Eric soon finds himself feeling more than camaraderie for Tyler and he could swear he sees the same in Tyler’s face. When Eric has to rescue Tyler from a traumatic situation he realizes he is going to have to stick close to Tyler, and that is both a curse and a blessing. When the team suffers their first loss after a long winning streak, Tyler does a complete one eighty and Eric is left floundering, not knowing what he can do for Tyler. When they sit down and Eric convinces Tyler to share his story with him, what he finds out shocks him to the core. It seems past traumas have shaped Tyler into what he is today and Eric does the only thing he can think of to help Tyler overcome his past.
And this is where the author lost me. The book was a solid 4-4.5 star read right up until the ending. Now, I don’t mind a HFN ending instead of a HEA, but I felt like this book just came to a screeching halt right out of nowhere. I wish the author would have given us just one more chapter, or even just an epilogue. I felt like Tyler and Eric were cheated out of a great ending just like I was. I would love to see the author revisit these two men in the future.
Tyler seems to be starved for attention. The smallest things Eric does for him, like cooking, mean so very much to the young man. Eric soon finds himself feeling more than camaraderie for Tyler and he could swear he sees the same in Tyler’s face. When Eric has to rescue Tyler from a traumatic situation he realizes he is going to have to stick close to Tyler, and that is both a curse and a blessing. When the team suffers their first loss after a long winning streak, Tyler does a complete one eighty and Eric is left floundering, not knowing what he can do for Tyler. When they sit down and Eric convinces Tyler to share his story with him, what he finds out shocks him to the core. It seems past traumas have shaped Tyler into what he is today and Eric does the only thing he can think of to help Tyler overcome his past.
And this is where the author lost me. The book was a solid 4-4.5 star read right up until the ending. Now, I don’t mind a HFN ending instead of a HEA, but I felt like this book just came to a screeching halt right out of nowhere. I wish the author would have given us just one more chapter, or even just an epilogue. I felt like Tyler and Eric were cheated out of a great ending just like I was. I would love to see the author revisit these two men in the future.
June 12, 2014
3.5 star review by The Blogger Girls.
I am not a huge basketball fan, but the blurb had enough other elements to lure me in. Ex-marine turned bodyguard/personal assistant, young sports star with some major issues, sign me up!
This starts out pretty good. We quickly learn there is more to Tyler than first appears, and while Eric “Ram” Ramos isn’t generally much of a babysitter, he is drawn to Tyler and his protective nature takes over. It becomes clear pretty early on that Tyler has some major issues and sexual hangups. I loved watching Ram build up Tyler’s trust and help him through his issues.
Ram tries to keep things professional for quite some time. They become close friends long before things ever go to the next level, which doesn’t occur until almost the 85% mark. I was really enjoying things up to this point. So much so, that I hardly noticed or minded any of the basketball stuff. When they do cross the line, things are pretty hot, as Ram helps Tyler overcome his mental issues about being gay. I really would have liked to have explored Tyler’s issues in a little more detail. He basically tells all in one conversation. Once this occurs, the story basically races to the end.
I understand from the author notes at the end that this was never intended to be more than a novella. However, I really feel this could have benefited from a bit more detail here and there. We never really got to know these guys on much more than a surface level, especially where their relationship was concerned. And the ending was extremely abrupt. Again, we learn from the author notes that there may have been an alternative ending, but, by then, I was already losing interest. So, this had a lot of potential, and while I did enjoy quite a bit about it, overall, I was left feeling a bit disappointed.
I am not a huge basketball fan, but the blurb had enough other elements to lure me in. Ex-marine turned bodyguard/personal assistant, young sports star with some major issues, sign me up!
This starts out pretty good. We quickly learn there is more to Tyler than first appears, and while Eric “Ram” Ramos isn’t generally much of a babysitter, he is drawn to Tyler and his protective nature takes over. It becomes clear pretty early on that Tyler has some major issues and sexual hangups. I loved watching Ram build up Tyler’s trust and help him through his issues.
Ram tries to keep things professional for quite some time. They become close friends long before things ever go to the next level, which doesn’t occur until almost the 85% mark. I was really enjoying things up to this point. So much so, that I hardly noticed or minded any of the basketball stuff. When they do cross the line, things are pretty hot, as Ram helps Tyler overcome his mental issues about being gay. I really would have liked to have explored Tyler’s issues in a little more detail. He basically tells all in one conversation. Once this occurs, the story basically races to the end.
I understand from the author notes at the end that this was never intended to be more than a novella. However, I really feel this could have benefited from a bit more detail here and there. We never really got to know these guys on much more than a surface level, especially where their relationship was concerned. And the ending was extremely abrupt. Again, we learn from the author notes that there may have been an alternative ending, but, by then, I was already losing interest. So, this had a lot of potential, and while I did enjoy quite a bit about it, overall, I was left feeling a bit disappointed.
July 6, 2014
2.5 stars
When I started reading this book, the first few pages where like 'Huh? WTH?' but when the story progressed I was drawn it at once. Poor Tyler carrying around his baggage of a past and Ram getting to know him, that was an engaging read, flowed along nicely for about 50% of the book, but then it somehow lost me. The end that wasn't and this peculiar author's note that didn't work for me as a HEA. Sorry. I'm sad that Tyler and Ram's story wasn't finished properly.
When I started reading this book, the first few pages where like 'Huh? WTH?' but when the story progressed I was drawn it at once. Poor Tyler carrying around his baggage of a past and Ram getting to know him, that was an engaging read, flowed along nicely for about 50% of the book, but then it somehow lost me. The end that wasn't and this peculiar author's note that didn't work for me as a HEA. Sorry. I'm sad that Tyler and Ram's story wasn't finished properly.
July 6, 2014
3.5
I had no problems with the ending here. Which surprised me. Yes this could have been longer. Tyler's issues aren't no two-cents type issues. Them's dollar-type hangups, but I loved the author's epilogue type thingy there.
I had no problems with the ending here. Which surprised me. Yes this could have been longer. Tyler's issues aren't no two-cents type issues. Them's dollar-type hangups, but I loved the author's epilogue type thingy there.
March 29, 2015
Tyler is a very, very young star basketball player who was recruited out of HIGH SCHOOL to play pro ball. He’s scared. He’s conflicted. He’s also gay.
Eric was hired because he’s gay. Tyler’s manager wants Tyler safe and so far all the staff either uses Tyler for his connections, his money, or his access to sex. Eric is seen as being immune to all that based on his past history and his indifference to the female form.
Eric is immediately attracted, both physically and emotionally to Tyler. He sees Tyler as a kid brother at first: needy, shy, naïve, innocent. When Eric begins to suspect Tyler might swing his way he’s conflicted about those feelings. He doesn’t want to take advantage of the guy but he’s also developed some serious feelings for him that go more than skin deep.
Tyler has had some super-bad experiences in h is past that make his life rituals important, and one night the team loses it’s winning streak, forcing Tyler to do something he hates, but feels is necessary to bring the team back to winning. It’s superstitious and awful, and it almost breaks him.
Luckily Eric is there to pick up the pieces and together they finally admit their attraction and begin to act upon it.
**
If you had asked me to rate this story at about the 50% mark I’d have given it 5 hearts, easily. It is so amazingly engaging. Dawn Douglas has created the perfect innocent paired with the toughest Alpha male and the sexual tension between them was both believable and hot. The separation between them was authentic and you questioned Tyler’s sexuality right along with Eric throughout most of the book. (Is he gay and closeted, is he in denial, is he gay for Eric… it was hard to tell!) The basketball stuff was a little unbelievable, but interesting and acted as a nice background for the romance to develop against.
I absolutely detested Tyler’s past (as I was supposed to) and felt wretched for how it affected him. I so wanted Eric to help him move through his fear and pain and know what real love is.
Without spoiling things for you, they do get together… in the last few paragraphs of the book. All that sexual tension is exploded with a few groping sessions and lots of tears and no, let me say it again, absolutely NO resolution.
The book/story just ends. POW.
I was flummoxed! Then pissed!
The story was so, so good and just ended… like the bell rang and the author had to turn her paper in at the end of class.
Since I was listening to the audio book I had to check to make sure I had the full story and that there wasn’t some technical error.
What I found was that, no, this is the entirety of the story, but that the ebook had this included as an epilogue/author’s note:
“I LOVE short stories. Not that novels aren’t wonderful, but there’s something special about being able to say everything you need to in a limited number of pages. And my favorite short story, bar none, is Frank R. Stockton’s The Lady, or the Tiger?
If you ask me when I’m irritated with my husband, stuck in traffic, or generally having a bad day, I’m pretty sure a tiger came out of the door to the right at the end of the story. When I’m in a better mood, a lady came out of the door, and the hero rode off into the sunset with his prize. I like the fact that the ambiguity of a short story leaves room for imagination.
In this novella, Tyler has some very serious history to address. Instead of turning what I had always intended to be a novella into a novel and exploring psychological issues that are far above my pay grade, leaving these particular characters with some ambiguity, with a happily for now, felt like the right thing to do.
That said, I’m the author, right? I created them, which means I’m allowed to suspend reality if I want to…
So in my mind, the real end to Tyler and Ram’s story goes something like this:
Tyler and Ram both found excellent counselors. The Fire Foxes won four successive NBA Championships. Tyler came out. The universe said, “Huh,” and moved on with life. Ram got his master’s degree from Wash U, went into politics, and changed the world. They got married, adopted baseball crazy twin boys, and were frequent guests on “Real Time with Bill Mahr.” And they lived happily ever after for the rest of their days.
The End.”
So, yeah. The author tells us that since this is her story she can end it however she wants and that in her mind the couple ends up HEA but she doesn’t owe her audience the actual WRITING of the HEA.
Without this author’s note, I would barely call it a HFN (Happy for now).
Needless to say, this did not sit well with me and it definitely affected my rating of the book.
I had really loved this story up until the (NOT) ending and was so, so disappointed at where it left off.
Audio
Randy Fuller is not my favorite narrator, but he does a fairly nice job with the narration. I enjoyed his voice choice for Eric, but felt that Tyler sounded a bit too old and not enough different from Eric.
All in all I can’t really recommend this book or audiobook because I wouldn’t want to inflict the frustration I felt on anyone else.
I give it a 2.5 of 5 hearts simply because Randy did a nice job and the writing was good up until the end, but the overall story/enjoyment really wasn’t there and I wouldn’t recommend it at all.
Eric was hired because he’s gay. Tyler’s manager wants Tyler safe and so far all the staff either uses Tyler for his connections, his money, or his access to sex. Eric is seen as being immune to all that based on his past history and his indifference to the female form.
Eric is immediately attracted, both physically and emotionally to Tyler. He sees Tyler as a kid brother at first: needy, shy, naïve, innocent. When Eric begins to suspect Tyler might swing his way he’s conflicted about those feelings. He doesn’t want to take advantage of the guy but he’s also developed some serious feelings for him that go more than skin deep.
Tyler has had some super-bad experiences in h is past that make his life rituals important, and one night the team loses it’s winning streak, forcing Tyler to do something he hates, but feels is necessary to bring the team back to winning. It’s superstitious and awful, and it almost breaks him.
Luckily Eric is there to pick up the pieces and together they finally admit their attraction and begin to act upon it.
**
If you had asked me to rate this story at about the 50% mark I’d have given it 5 hearts, easily. It is so amazingly engaging. Dawn Douglas has created the perfect innocent paired with the toughest Alpha male and the sexual tension between them was both believable and hot. The separation between them was authentic and you questioned Tyler’s sexuality right along with Eric throughout most of the book. (Is he gay and closeted, is he in denial, is he gay for Eric… it was hard to tell!) The basketball stuff was a little unbelievable, but interesting and acted as a nice background for the romance to develop against.
I absolutely detested Tyler’s past (as I was supposed to) and felt wretched for how it affected him. I so wanted Eric to help him move through his fear and pain and know what real love is.
Without spoiling things for you, they do get together… in the last few paragraphs of the book. All that sexual tension is exploded with a few groping sessions and lots of tears and no, let me say it again, absolutely NO resolution.
The book/story just ends. POW.
I was flummoxed! Then pissed!
The story was so, so good and just ended… like the bell rang and the author had to turn her paper in at the end of class.
Since I was listening to the audio book I had to check to make sure I had the full story and that there wasn’t some technical error.
What I found was that, no, this is the entirety of the story, but that the ebook had this included as an epilogue/author’s note:
“I LOVE short stories. Not that novels aren’t wonderful, but there’s something special about being able to say everything you need to in a limited number of pages. And my favorite short story, bar none, is Frank R. Stockton’s The Lady, or the Tiger?
If you ask me when I’m irritated with my husband, stuck in traffic, or generally having a bad day, I’m pretty sure a tiger came out of the door to the right at the end of the story. When I’m in a better mood, a lady came out of the door, and the hero rode off into the sunset with his prize. I like the fact that the ambiguity of a short story leaves room for imagination.
In this novella, Tyler has some very serious history to address. Instead of turning what I had always intended to be a novella into a novel and exploring psychological issues that are far above my pay grade, leaving these particular characters with some ambiguity, with a happily for now, felt like the right thing to do.
That said, I’m the author, right? I created them, which means I’m allowed to suspend reality if I want to…
So in my mind, the real end to Tyler and Ram’s story goes something like this:
Tyler and Ram both found excellent counselors. The Fire Foxes won four successive NBA Championships. Tyler came out. The universe said, “Huh,” and moved on with life. Ram got his master’s degree from Wash U, went into politics, and changed the world. They got married, adopted baseball crazy twin boys, and were frequent guests on “Real Time with Bill Mahr.” And they lived happily ever after for the rest of their days.
The End.”
So, yeah. The author tells us that since this is her story she can end it however she wants and that in her mind the couple ends up HEA but she doesn’t owe her audience the actual WRITING of the HEA.
Without this author’s note, I would barely call it a HFN (Happy for now).
Needless to say, this did not sit well with me and it definitely affected my rating of the book.
I had really loved this story up until the (NOT) ending and was so, so disappointed at where it left off.
Audio
Randy Fuller is not my favorite narrator, but he does a fairly nice job with the narration. I enjoyed his voice choice for Eric, but felt that Tyler sounded a bit too old and not enough different from Eric.
All in all I can’t really recommend this book or audiobook because I wouldn’t want to inflict the frustration I felt on anyone else.
I give it a 2.5 of 5 hearts simply because Randy did a nice job and the writing was good up until the end, but the overall story/enjoyment really wasn’t there and I wouldn’t recommend it at all.
June 20, 2014
4.5 star review by Cindy.
This story caught my attention because I adore military men in my books and in real life. They’re always so gruff and all about the rules until they’re not. Eric Ramos is no different. He walks into a situation thinking things are going to be one way only to have the rug pulled out from underneath him and go somewhere totally different.
Tyler Haley is a sweet, innocent young man who stole my heart from the start. I have a soft spot for needy, broken men who need someone to love them for who they are and help them find their way and Tyler fits the bill perfectly.
It’s always a delicate situation when it is employer and employee getting involved and author Dawn Douglas takes us on a wonderful dance around this touchy subject.
These two men who are so different from each other are the perfect example of opposites attracting. They both need the other to help them find the happiness they both deserve.
Watching them find their way to each other was a joy and I loved their little private interludes where they were learning about each other. Tyler strips away Eric’s tough guy façade little by little while Eric peels away the different layers that make up Tyler’s complicated mind.
The only complaint I have about this book is that women in general don’t fair very well in this story. I would have liked to have seen one sympathetic female character instead of them all being bitches and sluts, out to get what they could from Tyler any way they could.
All in all, though, this story is smart, well written and compelling. I cheered for Eric and Tyler from the beginning and smiled my way through the ending.
I have also had the pleasure of reading One Day at a Time by the same author and I can see that the quality of that story remains alive in this one.
A copy of this book was provided for reviewing. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews!
This story caught my attention because I adore military men in my books and in real life. They’re always so gruff and all about the rules until they’re not. Eric Ramos is no different. He walks into a situation thinking things are going to be one way only to have the rug pulled out from underneath him and go somewhere totally different.
Tyler Haley is a sweet, innocent young man who stole my heart from the start. I have a soft spot for needy, broken men who need someone to love them for who they are and help them find their way and Tyler fits the bill perfectly.
It’s always a delicate situation when it is employer and employee getting involved and author Dawn Douglas takes us on a wonderful dance around this touchy subject.
These two men who are so different from each other are the perfect example of opposites attracting. They both need the other to help them find the happiness they both deserve.
Watching them find their way to each other was a joy and I loved their little private interludes where they were learning about each other. Tyler strips away Eric’s tough guy façade little by little while Eric peels away the different layers that make up Tyler’s complicated mind.
The only complaint I have about this book is that women in general don’t fair very well in this story. I would have liked to have seen one sympathetic female character instead of them all being bitches and sluts, out to get what they could from Tyler any way they could.
All in all, though, this story is smart, well written and compelling. I cheered for Eric and Tyler from the beginning and smiled my way through the ending.
I have also had the pleasure of reading One Day at a Time by the same author and I can see that the quality of that story remains alive in this one.
A copy of this book was provided for reviewing. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews!
June 11, 2014
I love the mix of humor and masculine military portrayed in the thoughts of the main character's POV.
Angsty? A bit - there certainly were some possible powder kegs touched upon, portrayed without a glibness I've seen from some other writers (for spoiler safety, I won't elaborate further). There is a lot of potential here had the author decided to expand and make it a longer piece; however, she has reasons for not doing so.
For a short story, the ending is not out of the realm of what I have experienced as a reader in other romance stories -- we rarely ever find out everything that happens to make a Happily Ever After -- the most distressing part of it to me is that I got so involved in these characters that I wanted the story to keep going - just so I wouldn't have to let them leave.
Rarely have I encountered a piece where the author explains what some seem to consider a controversial choice/direction, but this author does a good job of explaining WHY she made the decision she did, and I respect that (and shake my head in bewilderment at those who don't/won't/can't).
Bottom Line: If you want a fluff read or to be spoon fed sunshine and roses, go pick up something like a Stephanie Plum book. If you want a well-written read, that while short, will make you think, re-consider societal mores, and yet tickle your funny bone (or other body parts, depending on your preferences) at points, pick this one up.
November 10, 2015
I only read the reviews for this book after finishing it to see if the other people who didn't care for the book already stated my views. I found this wasn't the case.
Most people complained about the ending. The ending wasn't my issue. About half way through for me it dawned on me the reason I wasn't that into it was because I didn't like these characters together as a couple.
I really liked Ram. Because I liked him I really didn't like the way Tyler treated him. Hell I didn't like Tyler much at all, he acted like a child. I'm not unsympathetic to his issues, but the man needs a hoard of shrinks to sort through.
I couldn't see them working out long term. Tyler would have to stay in the closet to maintain his basketball career. So what Ram is just going to be his secret? Never a recipe for a HEA.
Most people complained about the ending. The ending wasn't my issue. About half way through for me it dawned on me the reason I wasn't that into it was because I didn't like these characters together as a couple.
I really liked Ram. Because I liked him I really didn't like the way Tyler treated him. Hell I didn't like Tyler much at all, he acted like a child. I'm not unsympathetic to his issues, but the man needs a hoard of shrinks to sort through.
I couldn't see them working out long term. Tyler would have to stay in the closet to maintain his basketball career. So what Ram is just going to be his secret? Never a recipe for a HEA.
July 27, 2014
Just finished this one. Seriously loved it...until it ended. After falling for the characters, rooting for the relationship to work, enjoying the slow burn of UST, the MC's don't get together until almost the last chapter. And then the book ends.
No really, it just ends.
And the author's note?
What was the point in that? It was a total 'what the hell' moment and kinda felt like the author was mentally flipping me off.
Besides the end of the book, I did enjoy the story of Ram & Tyler. I'll probably read more of this author's work, but I'll know to read reviews before buying.
No really, it just ends.
And the author's note?
What was the point in that? It was a total 'what the hell' moment and kinda felt like the author was mentally flipping me off.
Besides the end of the book, I did enjoy the story of Ram & Tyler. I'll probably read more of this author's work, but I'll know to read reviews before buying.
July 7, 2014
Full review on my blog.
The basics: I loved the characters - I felt so badly for Tyler and the hell he'd been through. I liked how Ram was able to read Tyler and help him out all while keeping his growing feelings in check. I thought there was a great build-up to their first sexual encounter.
With all that being said, I did not like the ending. It was abrupt. I felt like the author left us hanging. At the end, the author added her two cents about why she did what she did and then quickly summarized where she saw things going with Tyler and Ram. Um, excuse me, but WTH?! And why was the publisher okay with that?
The basics: I loved the characters - I felt so badly for Tyler and the hell he'd been through. I liked how Ram was able to read Tyler and help him out all while keeping his growing feelings in check. I thought there was a great build-up to their first sexual encounter.
With all that being said, I did not like the ending. It was abrupt. I felt like the author left us hanging. At the end, the author added her two cents about why she did what she did and then quickly summarized where she saw things going with Tyler and Ram. Um, excuse me, but WTH?! And why was the publisher okay with that?
February 24, 2015
The build up for this book was fan-fucking-tactic and all through out the book I'm going omg the sex is going to be wonderful and I cant wait to read it and them BOOM the end. I wanted to cry to throw my kindle across the room if my husband wasn't sleeping right next to me I would have screamed to high heaven. I kept saying no no no no no not cool at all.
I loved this book until the end I was so upset the writing was amazing Dawn tells a really good but the ending was bad this book could have been 5 stars
I loved this book until the end I was so upset the writing was amazing Dawn tells a really good but the ending was bad this book could have been 5 stars
June 23, 2014
Liked the set up and the characters but that ending...what a doozy! It felt like the author created a very complicated character in Tyler and instead of showing his character development to accept his sexuality she ends the novella. To make it worse, she then writes an Author's Note saying she likes ambiguous stories and in one paragraph writes the story's HEA. I felt like this cheated me out of watching Tyler's character development and the relationship progression.
July 19, 2014
All in all, I found it an enjoyable read. My major quibble was the author's note at the end of the book. To me, a HFN ending is not a flaw; and I was happy with the way it ended. Therefore I didn't appreciate "the real end to Tyler and Ram's story". In my opinion, the author should have left it with a HFN or made it into a full-length novel.
July 24, 2022
2.5 Didn't quite work for me. Insta-love and more sentimental than I prefer. Didn't really buy into the story either.
Re-read July 2022
I liked it a lot! Giving it another star. 3.5 because, yeah, a little implausible and I wanted more, but boy did it hit the spot.
Re-read July 2022
I liked it a lot! Giving it another star. 3.5 because, yeah, a little implausible and I wanted more, but boy did it hit the spot.
June 5, 2014
It feels like the story's cut right at the half way through.
June 11, 2014
This was just ok for me. Had some potential but was way too short, IMO!
July 1, 2014
Full review on Booklikes: http://myfictionnook.booklikes.com/po...
June 6, 2014
The epilogue pretty much ruined the story for me, I'm just going to pretend that it ended before the epilogue. Everything before that was pretty good.
June 10, 2014
4 stars
really liked this book the only thing that i thought was a shame was the quick end and the way it was done
there should have been more there a real shame in my opinion
really liked this book the only thing that i thought was a shame was the quick end and the way it was done
there should have been more there a real shame in my opinion
June 22, 2014
Loved this story of the gentle giant and his protector.
July 5, 2014
4.5 Super enjoyable
February 28, 2015
What the hell happened to the ending? I get it's a novella - but seriously!
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
March 14, 2015
2.5 stars.
April 25, 2015
Awwww that was so freaking sweet and cute and sexy. Loved it! I can't believe how full and enjoyable it felt even as short as it is. Pure talent right there.
May 10, 2015
Audiobook
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