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DMZ
Carlo Langlois joined the diplomatic corps to help people, but when his helicopter is shot down in a war torn country, he’s the one who needs assistance. None other than his old secret crush from university, Ky Kinnaird, turns up. Ky may have been an athlete and still has the rugged build to prove it, but he now works undercover for MI-6, in charge of the extraction. If Ky can keep Carlo safe, an old attraction might have the chance to blossom into more.
29 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Speed
77 books510 followersSuper nerd. Former EIC at Cx Pulp. I've won Rainbow Awards, and still can't believe it. A small medicinal horse. The Meryl Streep of stunt corpses. Enby.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 9, 2014
2.5 stars
I felt like being plucked from somewhere then put in the middle of on-going story. Honestly, this was only 8k and I finished it within 10 MINUTES!!! It was just WAY too short of time for me to connect myself with the characters ... when BAM, it was finished.
I appreciate short stories, I really do. I experience reading great short stories before. But sometimes a short story is not satisfying when it feels like it can be expanded to a lengthier story. A guy who met his university-crush in the middle of a war?? I mean, there is a huge potential for a great story here, people!! We can have the friendship built during the university years, then maybe the present time when Carlo joins the diplomatic corps and find himself being rescued, then later on as they are reconnecting again and embrace the relationship.
Alas, it didn't happen. Truthfully, I was pretty disappointed with that. Guess I was expecting MORE :(.
And really, this is the kind of situation (and disappointment) where I think that the price is WAY too expensive compared to the length and enjoyment I get in return.
I felt like being plucked from somewhere then put in the middle of on-going story. Honestly, this was only 8k and I finished it within 10 MINUTES!!! It was just WAY too short of time for me to connect myself with the characters ... when BAM, it was finished.
I appreciate short stories, I really do. I experience reading great short stories before. But sometimes a short story is not satisfying when it feels like it can be expanded to a lengthier story. A guy who met his university-crush in the middle of a war?? I mean, there is a huge potential for a great story here, people!! We can have the friendship built during the university years, then maybe the present time when Carlo joins the diplomatic corps and find himself being rescued, then later on as they are reconnecting again and embrace the relationship.
Alas, it didn't happen. Truthfully, I was pretty disappointed with that. Guess I was expecting MORE :(.
And really, this is the kind of situation (and disappointment) where I think that the price is WAY too expensive compared to the length and enjoyment I get in return.
August 29, 2015
Wow!!! @.@ It just... ended. Just ended. WTF? O.o
Did I miss something, is this one of those "chapter" series?
The ending was so abrupt it took too much away from the story. If it ended badly at least we could have had a conclusion. This, tho? It simply drops. :(
I love Andrea's books, and I am not a medic or a military, so all the little discrepancies are OK for me. With whatever little action there was, it was still good; maybe I was anticipating something in the end, I don't know. The set up is great, but "short" doesn't work for this particular tale :(
2.5 stars.
And did I mention the price? $2.99 for 29 pages. Yep.
Did I miss something, is this one of those "chapter" series?
The ending was so abrupt it took too much away from the story. If it ended badly at least we could have had a conclusion. This, tho? It simply drops. :(
I love Andrea's books, and I am not a medic or a military, so all the little discrepancies are OK for me. With whatever little action there was, it was still good; maybe I was anticipating something in the end, I don't know. The set up is great, but "short" doesn't work for this particular tale :(
2.5 stars.
And did I mention the price? $2.99 for 29 pages. Yep.
November 26, 2014
I chose DMZ without reading the blurb because of the author. I like Andrea Speed’s work and liked the cover so those sold me. I’m not sure if reading the blurb would have helped with this particular short story though. It’s not bad but it’s nothing special and not that interesting. It feels like a deleted scene from a novel rather than a complete short story on its own. The writing is clean and evocative but my attention wandered for such a quick story.
Part of the problem is that while a lot technically occurs in the story, I felt very disconnected from the action and characters. Thus I was left feeling like “nothing happened” when that’s not true. The story starts with Carlos hanging upside down and bleeding from a helicopter shot out of the sky in a hostile country. Ky, who happens to be an old university crush of Carlos’, saves him. After a night in an abandoned building the two are successfully rescued. It’s a decent premise but perhaps too ambitious for such a small length.
For starters it was hard to understand what was going on. Starting the story in the middle of the action I had no idea who anyone was or what the point of the story was. Perhaps reading the blurb beforehand would have helped but it took me several pages to get into the rhythm of the story. Unfortunately I never connected to Ky or Carlos at all. The third person narrator here created a distance between the story and reader that was never overcome. We were told many times that Carlos had a crush on Ky in university, that they were friends of friends, but not close. I was a little annoyed at the repetition of information when that space could have been used to give the characters more depth and interest. As it was they remained very remote, thin characters that I didn’t really care about. I sensed no chemistry between the men either. That might be due to the lack of sex, but considering Carlos was badly injured, a sex scene would have been ridiculous.
That said I’m not entirely sure what the point of the story was. It feels unfinished with neither a beginning nor an end. Perhaps this is part of a larger series? I quite like the author’s voice but this is not one I’d recommend. Overall I’m disappointed in this short and have already forgotten it, which is sad.
Part of the problem is that while a lot technically occurs in the story, I felt very disconnected from the action and characters. Thus I was left feeling like “nothing happened” when that’s not true. The story starts with Carlos hanging upside down and bleeding from a helicopter shot out of the sky in a hostile country. Ky, who happens to be an old university crush of Carlos’, saves him. After a night in an abandoned building the two are successfully rescued. It’s a decent premise but perhaps too ambitious for such a small length.
For starters it was hard to understand what was going on. Starting the story in the middle of the action I had no idea who anyone was or what the point of the story was. Perhaps reading the blurb beforehand would have helped but it took me several pages to get into the rhythm of the story. Unfortunately I never connected to Ky or Carlos at all. The third person narrator here created a distance between the story and reader that was never overcome. We were told many times that Carlos had a crush on Ky in university, that they were friends of friends, but not close. I was a little annoyed at the repetition of information when that space could have been used to give the characters more depth and interest. As it was they remained very remote, thin characters that I didn’t really care about. I sensed no chemistry between the men either. That might be due to the lack of sex, but considering Carlos was badly injured, a sex scene would have been ridiculous.
That said I’m not entirely sure what the point of the story was. It feels unfinished with neither a beginning nor an end. Perhaps this is part of a larger series? I quite like the author’s voice but this is not one I’d recommend. Overall I’m disappointed in this short and have already forgotten it, which is sad.
October 4, 2014
*yawn* Just not long enough or with enough content to hold my attention. I'd pass if I were you. Can't recommend.
October 14, 2014
2.75 stars
Too short, would love to see more of Carlos & Ky!
Too short, would love to see more of Carlos & Ky!
October 14, 2014
Very short. The plot had merit but felt like it had been plucked from a chapter in a book.
October 21, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
This is a well written, engaging short story. The operative word being short. And for that reason there is not a whole lot I can possibly tell you. Carlo cannot believe Ky is the one coming to his rescue and the attraction he always had for Ky still flares even through his broken bones. The guys seek refuge together and, although brief, their story has just enough back story to hold our attention all the way through as both men are interesting and they build a connection. There is minimal action as most of the story is the aftermath of the helicopter crash and it is not clear exactly how long it has been since the men have seen each other or even what year it is. And, being in a war torn country it is not made clear how Ky is communicating to arrange extraction.
There is just a bit of closure on what may lie ahead for Carlo and Ky on a personal level anyway. The ending could be their beginning, and there is the overall feel that the story does read like a scene from a larger action story. For a quick read, with attraction from old friends, and a small side of action, check out DMZ.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
This is a well written, engaging short story. The operative word being short. And for that reason there is not a whole lot I can possibly tell you. Carlo cannot believe Ky is the one coming to his rescue and the attraction he always had for Ky still flares even through his broken bones. The guys seek refuge together and, although brief, their story has just enough back story to hold our attention all the way through as both men are interesting and they build a connection. There is minimal action as most of the story is the aftermath of the helicopter crash and it is not clear exactly how long it has been since the men have seen each other or even what year it is. And, being in a war torn country it is not made clear how Ky is communicating to arrange extraction.
There is just a bit of closure on what may lie ahead for Carlo and Ky on a personal level anyway. The ending could be their beginning, and there is the overall feel that the story does read like a scene from a larger action story. For a quick read, with attraction from old friends, and a small side of action, check out DMZ.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
October 8, 2014
In a foreign country in the middle of a war, Carlo Langlois finds himself shot out of the sky and injured. Bullets start flying before Carlo is rescued by a very familiar undercover agent.
Ky Kinnaird is huge and intimidating in the best of circumstances, and Carlo has secretly crushed on him since college. But no one in this god forsaken country cares how big, brooding or dangerous Ky is, they only now they want the man that was in that chopper.
Holed up for the night in an abandon building surrounded by gun fire and a couple broken ribs, Carlo relies on Ky to keep him safe. If they make it out of this alive, Carlo is determined to take Ky on a real date.
This story was so short and sexy, I’m hoping for another instalment so I can have my favourite side dish of steamy. Some fantastic ground work was detailed in this story though, and it will make for a dangerously romantic series, if Speed decides to go in that direction. Fingers crossed!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Ky Kinnaird is huge and intimidating in the best of circumstances, and Carlo has secretly crushed on him since college. But no one in this god forsaken country cares how big, brooding or dangerous Ky is, they only now they want the man that was in that chopper.
Holed up for the night in an abandon building surrounded by gun fire and a couple broken ribs, Carlo relies on Ky to keep him safe. If they make it out of this alive, Carlo is determined to take Ky on a real date.
This story was so short and sexy, I’m hoping for another instalment so I can have my favourite side dish of steamy. Some fantastic ground work was detailed in this story though, and it will make for a dangerously romantic series, if Speed decides to go in that direction. Fingers crossed!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
October 10, 2014
Andrea Speed really delivers with DMZ, it was a thoroughly enjoyable short story. Loved the action, loved the characters! I mean, what's not to love about a Korean-Scottish hunk with MI6? I definitely think Ms. Speed needs to do some more of this type of book, she certainly cuts it well and Ky is a great character.
If this short story is what she can do with this alpha dude/war zone genre, then please bring it on!
Can we see some more Ky and Carlo?
If this short story is what she can do with this alpha dude/war zone genre, then please bring it on!
Can we see some more Ky and Carlo?
October 31, 2014
Featured in Closet Capers Anthology. Features a diplomat going to negotiate in a foreign country but it doesn't go as plan. The helicopter he's on is attacked. Coming out alive he find himself in a bind and when he's almost caught by the enemy, he finds himself being saved by someone he hasn't seen since his college days.
A short read that I wished was a tad longer. The storyline was interesting and so was the short scenes of action happening in the story.
A short read that I wished was a tad longer. The storyline was interesting and so was the short scenes of action happening in the story.
December 6, 2016
What is, when everything goes to hell, your knight in shining armour is your childhood crush? That's what happens in this story. And nothing lets you catch up with someone like hiding for you life in an abandoned building. A bit of a small world story with hope in the face of bad odds.
December 19, 2014
a nice quick read
January 6, 2015
Surprisingly short. Felt more like a scene deleted from another story.
July 5, 2015
Ky is bisexual YAAAS come save me too lol!!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews