The One Decent Thing

Santa Rafaela #1

by Eliot Grayson, Chris Chambers (Narrator)

Everyone says kindness costs nothing. It's a lie. Kindness can cost you everything.

Sebastian

The only decent thing my high school bully ever did for me got him sent to prison. Aidan was a jerk, but he saved me from making the worst mistake of my life, and in return, my parents ruined him. Now that he's out, I'm determined to make amends. No matter what he needs, no matter how long it takes, I will make it all up to him. But first I'll have to figure out how to hide my attraction to my sexy, confusing new roommate.

Aidan

Saving him cost me everything. I have nothing and no one—except Sebastian. He's determined to make good on a debt I never asked him to repay. He's offering me money, a place to stay, and help adjusting to life on the outside. But all I'm really wondering is . . . who can save Sebastian from me—the desperate bisexual ex-con who probably wants more from him than he's willing to give?

Contains mature themes.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, LGBT, New Adult, College

9 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 22, 2020

About the author

Eliot's a lifelong Southern California girl, right down to the flip-flops and backyard garden. When she's not writing her next book, you can find her reading, drinking tea, or (more likely) catering to the demands of her kids and ancient, cranky cat.

Steamy books with delicious tension, heart-wrenching pining, and a hefty dose of action and adventure have always been her jam as a reader. Guess what she writes?

You can catch up with her on Facebook in her reader group, Eliot Grayson's Escape from Reality, or sign up for her newsletter at eliotgrayson.com.

Reviews

[Nazanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Told in dual POV, 1 st person, it’s a standalone novel. I had heard good things about this one but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. I didn’t like Sebastian. Most of the time he was whiny and needy and his insecurities were on my nerves but in rare moments he surprised me with his fiery attitude. Another thing is the author described Aidan as a bully in his past but what I saw of him? Bully was a strong word. I wish the author could make some flashbacks, maybe that way I could understand them & their connection more. It’s low on angst (but it could have been more angsty due to the subject matter). Overall, it was an OK read and hope you enjoy it more than me!

[Mug · Rating 3 out of 5]

both of these mfs were constantly jumping to conclusions in outer space…..i swear it happened in every single chapter and even the epilogue like ENOUGH oh my god it was sooo annoying !😵‍💫 they were literally shaking from the shit they were making up in their heads…….the e n t i r e book….it was just way too much for me, had me going oh brotherrrr not this AGAIN🙄

[Kazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

It happened again. Eliot Grayson did this thing with the characters that made me a sucker for the overall story. Yep. Reeled me in.

New adult
Enemies to friends to lovers
Slow burn
Hurt/comfort
Some angsty moments... but probably more uncertainty and understandable guilt and worry driving emotions
Romantic and sweet
Awesome best friends
One nerdy MC, complete with some science humour and a nod to Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Lovable MCs
Sexy



I mean, look at that cover. It doesn't lie!



Blog review-

[Papie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a little cute but a lot weird.
Let’s start at the beginning.

Aidan was Sebastian’s bully in high school. One night, he sees Aidan at a bus stop in the rain and stops to help him. Turns out Sebastian (17) was running away from home. Aidan (19) convinced him to come home with him instead. Somebody calls the police, and Aidan gets arrested. I initially thought it was because they thought they had sex and Sebastian was a minor? Which makes no sense. But turns out, it was for kidnapping. Even though they both told the true story. But turns out, Sebastian’s psycho rich parents were still able to send Aidan to jail. FOR FOUR YEARS. Oh yeah, that makes so much more sense now.

Sebastian offers Aidan help and a place to stay when he gets out. And even though Aidan has always been 100% straight (except for one time in prison, but he never did it again because he is straight), and they have nothing in common, and the history between them, he falls for Sebastian. And Sebastian falls for him. 🤷‍♀️

And honestly, they were cute at first. But it was a mess. From Brody the creep, to Aidan’s parents, to the whole reporter story, to how weirdly insecure both MCs were constantly...I am ok with some insecurity and jealousy, but when they are both constantly convinced the other is about to break up with them, it gets on my nerves. Even the proposal was weird and insecure. Dude.

So I lost interest and skimmed.

[tappkalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't cried, but there was this heavy feeling in my chest the whole time.
Life is so unfair to some people. What they've been through is too much and they are so strong for being able to recover form it.

The first few chapters were crazy good and emotional, and will haunt me for years, if not for ever.

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ! Can't Buy Me Love


Reviewed on February 6, 2020
Format: Kindle Edition

With The One Decent Thing, Eliot Grayson delivers an emotional , beautifully written, candid and quirky , new adult , MM, romance story.

It respectfully , insightfully and with empathy deals with sensitive subjects as mental health, therapy , panic attacks, parental alienation among others .

One would expect this story to be super angsty and melodramatic ; yet, it is not! Yes, it's have some angst and drama but the sweetness, delightful banter, endearing and well rounded heroes , Aiden and Sebastian outdo it all.

And, did I mention, the hot AF ; UST , chemistry , steamy sexy times between the heroes? Because, Holy Fireworks Batman , Aiden and Sebastian together are fiery.

I just reviewed #TheOneDecentThing #ElioGrayson #BooksILove #GRR #Kindle #Read2020 #KU #Amazon

[Kaity]

No rating since idk what to say. Haha

The audiobook is on Scribd, Chris Chambers does a decent job, it does take me a minute to tune out his breathing between sentences. But once I do he is a pretty good narrator.

Now to the book. Idk what it was about it that I didn’t fully click with. The beginning was decent, then so was the middle and end. There wasn’t really anything truly special about this book that made me feel like it was amazing.

I think it went from Aiden not contemplating he could be bi to bam he wants Sebastian haha idk to me didn’t work super well.

I have only read one or two of Eliot Grayson’s books and they didn’t leave a lasting impression on me either. Idk I hoped for more than I got.

Overall it was alright but not something I’ll want to read again in the future.

[~nikki the recovering book addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was perfect!!

I don’t think I’ve read anything by this author before and for that, I’ve been missing out! This was a sweet story. There was so much layers to the characters and so much maturity in the storyline that I could have seen it go the other way, of depending on the usual tropes and such to carry the story. I’m glad it didn’t contain the usual tropes - except the shitty parents trope 🙄 but I’ve come to realise it’s not just a trope but real life struggles for a lot of people. Shitty parents are real! 🤬

Loved the story. Loved the characters. Can’t believe I finished it all already! 😩

[~BookNeeds~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love finding new authors and it’s even better when their books are so great. I loved this story I had to pause a few times because I was so emotional. My heart broke for Aiden and Sebastian. The story immediately captivated me, it had everything tenderness, angst (but not too much) and romance. I only wish I could better articulate how wonderful this book is. (Sigh)

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it 💜 Low angst, m/m, sort of school enemies to friends to lovers, HEA.

[Aricka Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I care enough, and you’re my person. I’m not going anywhere."

4.5⭐

I was hesitant about reading this book, because of the rating and a few reviews I read. But I actually really enjoyed this. I thought the romance between Aidan and Sebastian's friendship and relationship was sweet and not full of super over dramatic shit, givin the way they start their friendship/relationship. I mean both of them over think shit, and probably talk a little more but they have a pretty healthy relationship. I wanted more. I wanted more of them figuring out their relationship, being together, getting their HEA and more of them after shit settles down. I wanted more intimate scenes, more emotional shit. But thats just my preference, and I cant fault the author for not giving more when what I got was pretty good to start with. I am just a whore for more story and relationship development, especially in these short romance books. 300 pages, I could of done with 100 to 200 more of just Aidan and Sebastian being in love. I liked them a lot and I think they had a lot more to share and say in the story but hey Im not a professional writer or reviewer so fuck me I guess. Anyways I liked this a lot, I cant knock a drama free cute romance. Sometimes that shit is needed and I had a good time. Cute.

[Megan [At The Cottage] · Rating 3 out of 5]

MM Romance
Roommates
3 Stars ⭐️

#The52BookClub-Uneven Number Of Chapters

🎧Narrated by Chris Chambers🎧 💗 My love for this narrator makes me listen to every single mm audiobook by him I can get my hands on and the majority have been mehhh. Can someone hire him for something amazing? Please? 🙏🤞🏻

So, I had read the second in this series ages ago and honestly didn’t care much for the sample of this one BUT it was on Audible Plus and I’m a whore for this narrator 🤷🏻‍♀️ I liked it more than book 2 but that wasn’t a hard bar to pass 😂 I remember the communication being horrible in book 2 and it wasn’t much better in this one which is why I’m not all that enamored with it but I’m still giving it 3 stars because I enjoyed this couple for the most part. I also loved how Sebastian overcame his demons and stood up to his parents and this didn’t try and be happy families. I so prefer shitty parents staying shitty and this had a nice fuck you 🖕🏻towards them that I adored.

The miscommunication and monologues that droned on and on made me tune out at times but I also understood why there would be issues as these two had a bit of a harrowing past. I also thought Sebastian’s anxiety was done well as I used to have some of the same meltdowns after stressful events. The ending was corny but they deserve sunshine after everything they’ve been through.

And Chris Chambers narrated both these characters so well and made the sex scenes way hotter than they would have been had I just read it. Boy can moan. So that’s why I 3 starred it.

[Yarie ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an overkill in everything. First of all a teenager being sent to prison without any proof just because he gave shelter to a friend and the parents said he kidnapped him? The law doesn't work like that, okay that I study law in Portugal but the law can't be that different.

Secondly, too much "he said this thing but he meant another thing" the characters never let each other speak, they started to draw conclusions and this is never fun, I don't like books with a lack of communication (sometimes is acceptable but not the whole book)

Third, the book's smut is weak, and at this point I think it's my personal preference, a lot of people can read this book and think the smut was okay but I found it very tamed.
But I had fun in some parts and the writing is not bad (I will read more from this author)
Maybe if you read this book without expectation you might like it.

Rating: 3 Stars.
Steam: 5 out of 10.
Triggers: None
Love Triangle: No
Cheating: No
HEA: Yes

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Thank you for the gift, Gingerbread Goodness Elf!

[the kevin (vaguely alive) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 34%

This had an interesting premise, and a decent start, but ultimately failed to pull itself together and become a story.

Aidan:

Aidan….he wasn’t honestly too bad. An interesting character, but I didn’t get far enough to see him develop past his early insecurities. I did get very tired of him constantly thinking about he’s “bad news on paper”, I get it, move on. Start processing that please.

Sebastian:

Sebastian is a little babbling awkward nerd, and it grated on me after a while. There’s only so much babbling I can handle, and Sebastian was whiny on top of it. He read super young, and seemed to have panic attacks every time someone gave him a funny look. At that point, I have to wonder how he leaves the house.

Sebastian is also a huge fucking mess on all counts. I can’t really see him managing to work through this colossal mess of insecurities and mental health issues within this book to a satisfactory degree, and so far they’re only getting worse and more numerous.

Where does Sebastian get his money? He no longer talks to or is funded by his parents apparently, but he also seems to have unlimited funds. His house is his uncles(?) but that doesn’t explain enough. Maybe that’s addressed later.


I got very tired of:

the repetition of gay/straightness. I get it, sebastian thinks Aidan is straight. I also get it, Sebastian is gay. He is a gay nerd. I do not need it to be repeated in all the internal monologues, or every other conversation. But it was.

the repetition of Sebastian flinching away because he’s a horny little shit, and Aidan thinking he’s flinching because he’s scared of him. Yes, this is a reasonable set up and thing to happen for Aidan’s internal thoughts, but it happens soooo much before they address it. I felt bad for Aidan in this, since he had a very clear reason to think that, and Sebastian is just being self centered. I stopped right around when they sort of addressed it, but who knows if that stuck at all. Unlikely.

repetitive explaining of motivations and actions for everything. I can interpret the characters thoughts and why they do certain things without the author laying it out in baby steps.

both characters are so insecure and so touchy about every word, that their conversations go absolutely nowhere. Constant overreactions.

Overall, this wasn’t absolutely terrible, but it had no forward movement. Both characters are in a swamp of insecurities, and they were making no progress in either plot or development or romance. I don’t have the patience for this level of nowhere progress, and I saw another review that said it never improves, especially the insecurities…so I’m out.

[deadrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

"On my sixth birthday, I’d gotten a wooden truck from my grandmother, with a working steering wheel and everything. I loved it. But I’d also gotten a stack of comic books, and I was so excited that I dived right in. I guess I didn’t seem enthusiastic enough, and mom was embarrassed in front of her mother-in-law. She snapped the steering wheel off the truck and yanked off the tailgate, and threw the whole thing in the trash while I hopped from foot to foot and grabbed at it, and at her hands, and cried and begged and apologized. She told me that was what I got for being an ungrateful brat. That moment was crystal-clear all these years later: the look on her face, and my horror and nauseated grief and longing for that poor little toy that I thought was my friend, because I was six."

Ok, to say this was an easy read would be a lie. It wasn't easy but it was utterly captivating and I was completely enthralled. I have family members that are toxic and as upsetting and relatable as that paragraph was it also spoke so much of an entire childhood of trauma and abuse at the hands of a malignant narcissist of a mother.
I side eyed the story blurb and wondered if someone could actually do 4 years for offering a runaway teen a couch to crash on, I'm so glad I trusted the author cause she damn well earned it. Aidan was exactly the kind of kid the system could chew up and spit out.
Both the MC's where so damaged and I didn't for one moment feel like the lack of communication was a cheap ploy for conflict. Honestly dealing with anxiety and depression sometimes being honest is the hardest struggle to overcome.

Also, I think it's important to point out, Aidan is a super good guy who is caring considerate and patient. He gets frustrated that he doesn't have the answers to Sebastian's fears and anxieties but there was no big misunderstanding. There's quite a lot of angst but it's not overblown or unbearable. They figure each other out and come together over time.

And for what it's worth, Aidan's parents are persona non-Grata in the novel so nothing is resolved there they've simply cut him off but Sebastian most definitely gets such a satisfying resolution with his mother. Cause honestly, fuck her. I can't tell you how many books I've read where the MC's been so unjustly hurt and never receive justice or closure (yes a lot of the perpetrators are the MC's parents) I was so happy that Sebastian (and Aidan) got some justice in the end.

Author very kindly gave me an ARC with no expectation of a review, but I have also purchased on kindle. I'm laughing and crying to myself because between the ARC loaded on my phone and my pc then the actual kindle version I have so many highlights that are just lost in the void. The writing was so eloquent and profound in places and now I feel like I need to reread and highlight again on my official copy cause there's a lot in this book I'd love to go back to.

I once told Eliot I thought her stories where cozy and comforting. I still believe this, but this story was definitely challenging and far more grim. There was still humor and snark, moments that genuinely had me laughing out loud, but this story at times felt so real and relatable that I needed to pause for a moment to process. Anyone who's dealt with the trauma of growing up with a narcissistic may struggle but I feel the resolution was very cathartic so worth the journey. And to be frank, having to step away and share my thoughts on what I was reading to have a conversation because it was effecting me tells me that I've come away with something that I'll be thinking about for awhile.

This story contains mentions of sexual assault, it was handled really well. Fuck Brody, he's literately the worst.

[Calila · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Received A Copy To Review From The Author*

This is a great love story about the growth two people can go through and how that can lead to them being perfect for each other. Aidan and Sebastian have a rough history, and they're lives are forever intertwined but they also make a choice, to be there for the other. To pick each other up and make each other happy. I really believed in the development of their relationship. Yeah, sometimes it's a little too easy. But there are some moments of conflict that add some reality to their relationship. I kind of wish it were longer, and some things went more in depth. But really, at the end, I'm just happy they're together and happy.

[Leelah🍁♋️ Orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good

This book was wonderful. From start to finish. It grabbed me from the beginning and had me thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. The growth of the two Mc’s was such a joy to watch. Watching the “tough guy” be gentle, and the awkward one start to ask for what he wants was a remarkable journey. There were misunderstandings but they were handled like adults. The writing was great, the side characters were amazing, and the smexy was hawt. I’m hoping there will be other books about the side characters RICK, Jason, Chris and Luke.

[Rebelexmachina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for Aiden; the high school bully with a sweet cuddly bear heart of gold. I loved him. LOVE. The rest of the story was good, but... Sebastian, sweet as he was, got on my nerves a little. 99% of his mental health progress occurred off page before the epilogue, which to me, made his characterisation feel a little bit static. I would have liked to see more character development from him in terms of starting to take control of his anxiety during the actual story.

4/5 stars.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt so bad for Adrian even though he bullied Sebastian during high school we don’t have those scenes so I was able to enjoy the story because during the timeline of the book he is so fucking precious I actually feel sorry for his insecurities.

They are not intimate with anyone after seeing each other, before that they were never friends so doesn’t matter
Safe

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 Stars

A new to me author. I expected more angst from the blurb I read. And it did have a little. But it was surprisingly light at times and never got too dark. I would be interested in reading more books by this author in the future.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars. After an unjust accusation and conviction, Aidan is finally free. Much to his surprise, Sebastian is there to help and support him.

Four years ago, Sebastian was seventeen, his parents made sure to put the one who saved him in jail. The injustice here was horrible and sad. Jeez, how? Read this story yourself and get to know the details.
Now Sebastian wants to right the wrong, what happened scarred him for life, not only him, also Aidan.

Sebastian doesn’t only shared his apartment with Aidan, but everything he owns.
He’s a mess, he comes with a complicated manual, and somehow Aidan can read it.

Aidan is so considerate around Sebastian, it hurts. Sebastian’s self-esteem is low, he has so many little panic attacks, and let’s not forget the big ones.

Sebastian is loyal, he chooses Aidan’s side. Sebastian is territory and jealous, he can be an awful prick. Aidan is his friend, no one else’s, period! His straight friend, he got feelings for.

In the small space of Sebastian’s apartment, the sexual tension is getting higher and higher.

Gosh, my heart, what a story. Absolutely captivatingly built, not one page was dull.

Aidan deserved the best, after all the mistreatments, he’s still humble, protective, enormously considerate.
A thousand emotions are passing by. A lot is happening, too many things to mention detailed.
I loved the whole picture, so worth reading!
There are some disturbing characters, multiple, I got quite anxious about their actions.
Logical how stressed Sebastian got from them. But Sebastian rose out above himself, protecting what was his, and did right!
This was such a wonderful emotional experience, hurt, comfort, heat, injustice, justice, romance, the parts that mattered were nicely developed. The characters are engaging, I loved Aidan at first sight, sweet Sebastian was delicate and complicated, both were courageous, the secondary characters were well pictured.
The flow was very comfortable, the plot was wonderfully thought out and well balanced!
There’s a quite satisfying denouement and an even more satisfying HEA.

Read and reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews

[☆Kylie☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a solid 3.

I give many books shaking 3's but this one is an absolute 3 to me. The premise of the books is pretty cool but not well executed.

Imagine someone that was never a great person to you but the one decent thing they did for you put them in jail... Interesting right?

This book loses major points because of all the miscommunication. They were kinda small and solved quickly enough I guess but it was one too many times annoying.
Character x says dumb shit, character b accept what character x said at face value and without making questions and puff, all was screwed again...
As I said, I could only give this book a good rate because it was quick at dealing with the miscommunication!

[Iz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Super cute!
A smidge angsty, very, very hot, and just, highly enjoyable. I adored both MCs, although I wanted to knock some sense into Sebastian more than once.

I'm excited to jump into book two.

[M.I.A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best HEA ever!

God, this was just the perfect balance of everything.

Aiden is just ... gosh, I didn't think I'd feel so sweet towards an ex-bully... but talk about a redemption story.

" I mean, I messed with everyone as a hobby, because I was pissed off and bored and hated school, and I wanted to make everyone around me as miserable as I was. "

When it counted, truly counted on a life-death scale, Aiden stepped up. He saw a 17 year old Sebastian, duffle bag in hand at a bus station ready to runaway from his home into the hands of a possible, highly possible monster and Aiden saved him.

That one act of kindness set Aiden and Sebastian on two different paths only to bring the back together in away neither had anticipated.

Their romance, well

" It was absolutely imperfectly perfect"

I loved the sex puns that blurted out of Sebastian.
I loved Aiden and his gentle giant ways
I loved the 'sorry's' that led to some fun times
I loved Sebastians vulnerability and strength
I loved Sebastians manipulations to get his way with Aiden
I loved Aiden's view on his sexual discovery

I'd" come to the conclusion that my sexuality was less about women and more about people I liked who had good hygiene, most of whom happened to be women.... and wanting Sebastian as much as I did ? yeah, it was a surprise. But not a shock"

Solid love story, completely fulfilling on all levels.
5 glorious stars.

[Marthea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muszę przyznać, że jestem trochę rozczarowana... Po opisie spodziewałam się czegoś innego, czegoś bardziej skomplikowanego, mocniejszego, z większą głębią, z większym dramatyzmem, gniewem, wściekłością.

Tymczasem coś mi tutaj nie zagrało. Może dlatego, że bohaterowie byli młodzi i to było widać? Zwłaszcza po Sebastianie, z którym nie za bardzo się polubiliśmy i który specjalnie nie siadł mi na młoteczek i kowadełko... Przy tych całych atakach paniki, tym, co przeżył z rodzicami, niespecjalnym przystosowaniu społecznym, nerdowatością, kasą, którą miał - mógł być fajną, skomplikowaną postacią, tymczasem był jakiś taki jęczący cały czas... Poza tym brak właściwej komunikacji rozwalał mnie czasami...

I jeszcze punkt wyjścia czyli wyrok dla Aidana - nie znam się na prawie, nawet nie będę udawać, że tak jest, ale pewne rzeczy na zdrowy rozum można wziąć - rozumiem małe miasteczko, korupcja, kasa, znajomości... Ale naprawdę? Prokuraturze udało się wmówić wszystkim m.in., że Sebastian po 4 godzinach "porwania" przez Aidana miał syndrom sztokholmski??? Naprawdę jak jestem w stanie dużo rzeczy wziąć na klatę, bo życie jest dziwne i nieprzewidywalne, to ten wyrok tutaj wydawał mi się mało prawdopodobny...

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real emotional rollercoaster for me. The two guys, Adrian a senior in College and Sebastian a couple years younger attended the same high school. Sebastian is out and proud, Adrian is bi. Adrian tended to bully Sebastian about his Pride badges on his backpack and symbols on his clothing. Both come from homes and families that left a lot to be desired.

Through the most awful situation involving both guys, Adrian ends up serving a 4 year prison sentence. Sebastian ends up in years of therapy and medication.

On the day Adrian is released from prison 4 years later, He is surprised to find someone waiting to collect him and take him back to The town he last lived in.

I gave this 4 stars for story and the two great characters who were so opposites but worked so well.

[oshiiy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ⭐️

[Mrs C · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I just couldn't continue with this book. Basically Aiden gets sent down for letting a minor sleep on his floor. That's it... So he spends 4 years in prison. It just wasn't realistic.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!

I loved it, this is a new author for me and hated that it ended. I wonder if the author will continue with Chris, I hope so.