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Bromance to Romance
Dear Author,
My name is _____ and I’m a grad student at ____. I’m looking for love but sometimes it’s hard to find guys that want more than a hook-up. Will I find the love of my life on this gay dating site? Or is he already on campus? I snapped this photo via my web cam— is it for my online dating profile or am I sending it to a special someone? What will he think of the tattoos under my shirt? Can he bring out the romantic side hiding behind my glasses? How do we meet and find our HEA?
Photo Description:
A young man stares at the camera wearing a white T-Shirt and black-rimmed Ray Ban eye glasses. Facial hair covers his chin and upper lip. Tattoos of a skull and flower are visible on his neck. His look is vulnerable, sincere, and wanting.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
My name is _____ and I’m a grad student at ____. I’m looking for love but sometimes it’s hard to find guys that want more than a hook-up. Will I find the love of my life on this gay dating site? Or is he already on campus? I snapped this photo via my web cam— is it for my online dating profile or am I sending it to a special someone? What will he think of the tattoos under my shirt? Can he bring out the romantic side hiding behind my glasses? How do we meet and find our HEA?
Photo Description:
A young man stares at the camera wearing a white T-Shirt and black-rimmed Ray Ban eye glasses. Facial hair covers his chin and upper lip. Tattoos of a skull and flower are visible on his neck. His look is vulnerable, sincere, and wanting.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
59 pages, ebook
First published September 6, 2014
2 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Daniels
4 books13 followersElizabeth Daniels is the possible made up persona of a girl who loves love and loves to read about love.
Elizabeth is a wife and mother who lives in the desert valley of Southern California surrounded by gorgeous mountains that are covered with bright orange poppies every spring. She shuffles a home full of boys and finds it unnerving to be the minority in the house most of the time. She loves animals, doesn’t eat them, and has rescued the three canines that lay at her feet as she writes.
She recently took her love of boys who love boys on a challenge to let the characters out of her head and tell their own stories.
She is taking a chance at this thing called writing, when she is not busy being lost in a book.
She may be crazy.
She may be brilliant.
She may be trying not to talk about herself in the third person because it’s pretentious and creepy.
Elizabeth is a wife and mother who lives in the desert valley of Southern California surrounded by gorgeous mountains that are covered with bright orange poppies every spring. She shuffles a home full of boys and finds it unnerving to be the minority in the house most of the time. She loves animals, doesn’t eat them, and has rescued the three canines that lay at her feet as she writes.
She recently took her love of boys who love boys on a challenge to let the characters out of her head and tell their own stories.
She is taking a chance at this thing called writing, when she is not busy being lost in a book.
She may be crazy.
She may be brilliant.
She may be trying not to talk about herself in the third person because it’s pretentious and creepy.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 9, 2014
I loved this. Yep - once again I was lucky enough to beta read and I'm trying to be as objective as I can in this review.
This is Elizabeth's second prompt - and she is the third one to claim this particular prompt. Third time lucky IMO!!
Elizabeth Daniels has a way of putting words together that I just adore. It's like she gets inside the characters, she isn't just writing them, she really, really understands them. From what they're wearing to how they think and feel, everything is the character's choice, not the writer's.
Dan and Drew - oh these two. You ever want to slap someone and say, look at what is right in front of you...yep. *nods head* THESE two!! I have to say, Ms Daniels makes the wait worth it. And we get a tease...
I mean UNGH, right?
I love her secondary characters. In fact good secondary characters are a weakness of mine, and even in their brief appearances I feel each person we meet has their own story to tell. Noah from The Backdoor for example. He's there for a few paragraphs and I already want to know his story!
This story isn't in your face sexy, but it is sexy. The kind of sexy that comes with good friends and longing and love. I'm getting shivers just thinking about it! As much as I like a good shag in my reading (I feel I've said this before recently, sorry) sometimes I really love NOT having it in a story. Sometimes the story doesn't need it. Sometimes it is much sexier without. IMO!!
I'm rambling, I know I am. I don't want to spoil this story. I really hope you all enjoy it as much as I have. I know I'll be re-reading it when I want a friends-to-more book (it is my favourite trope!).
Thank you for not one but two stories Elizabeth!!
ETA -the phone sex. How could I have forgotten to mention his. Hot phone call is HOT.
December 2, 2015
Short & Sweet, Friends To Lovers Story.
Meez a Happy Girl Now!!!
Meez a Happy Girl Now!!!
September 11, 2014
3.5 stars
A cute best-friend to lovers story.
Since Dan and Drew (I admit I was a bit confused recognizing who is who *lol*) are best friends, the chemistry is totally there and believable. The time when they get separated is wonderful because they finally figure things out. Even if they need 'outsiders' to get things straight (no pun intended). ALTHOUGH, I probably will think people who barge into my life like Sam does as very, very creepy. But that's just me, I'm freaked out by overly friendly strangers sometimes. But then again, the secondary characters here seemed to be randomly introduced... which was weird sometimes.
But carry on. There's no penetration sex but the phone sex is pretty hawt!! So yeah, an enjoyable quickie.
PS: this is probably one of the best COVERS ever from the event!! My God, Natasha Snow is freakin' brilliant. Big MM publishers should hire her for life.
A cute best-friend to lovers story.
Since Dan and Drew (I admit I was a bit confused recognizing who is who *lol*) are best friends, the chemistry is totally there and believable. The time when they get separated is wonderful because they finally figure things out. Even if they need 'outsiders' to get things straight (no pun intended). ALTHOUGH, I probably will think people who barge into my life like Sam does as very, very creepy. But that's just me, I'm freaked out by overly friendly strangers sometimes. But then again, the secondary characters here seemed to be randomly introduced... which was weird sometimes.
But carry on. There's no penetration sex but the phone sex is pretty hawt!! So yeah, an enjoyable quickie.
PS: this is probably one of the best COVERS ever from the event!! My God, Natasha Snow is freakin' brilliant. Big MM publishers should hire her for life.
September 6, 2014
I think I've fallen in love with these two boys.
Dan and Drew were too sweet and adorable for words. Turns out they've been dating for the past four years without even knowing it. That makes for a hell of a lot of foreplay. So you can imagine, when they finally kiss, it's one amazing kiss.
Dan and Drew love each other, are best friends, and are closer than two people can be, but Drew is in love with Dan and Dan is oblivious. It takes Drew reaching the breaking point and kissing Dan for a light bulb to finally go off ,and both sets of eyes are opened.
The story mostly takes place while Drew is away, but oddly enough that distance brings them closer. And the phone sex
This was very well written, with great UST and a sweet, romantic side to both of these guys that made me smile. The perfect afternoon read.
My thanks to the author for their time and participation in the Loves Landscapes event.
Dan and Drew were too sweet and adorable for words. Turns out they've been dating for the past four years without even knowing it. That makes for a hell of a lot of foreplay. So you can imagine, when they finally kiss, it's one amazing kiss.
Dan and Drew love each other, are best friends, and are closer than two people can be, but Drew is in love with Dan and Dan is oblivious. It takes Drew reaching the breaking point and kissing Dan for a light bulb to finally go off ,and both sets of eyes are opened.
The story mostly takes place while Drew is away, but oddly enough that distance brings them closer. And the phone sex
This was very well written, with great UST and a sweet, romantic side to both of these guys that made me smile. The perfect afternoon read.
My thanks to the author for their time and participation in the Loves Landscapes event.
September 6, 2014
Dan and Drew have been best friends for four years, in fact they are even roommates. This isn't a GFY story, they are both out. Neither of them want to ruin the friendship and attempt to take that 'extra' step. Dan is always asking Drew why all the boys 'can't be like him??' Never knowing that Drew would be very happy to be seen and become the boyfriend.
So, the story mostly takes place with them separated, after 'the kiss'. I feel the separation between them after 'the kiss' worked better for them, since they are roommates. It gave them time to sort out their feelings and comet to terms that they could potentially be more than just friends. They were able to communicate over their phones, until Drew came back.
So, the story mostly takes place with them separated, after 'the kiss'. I feel the separation between them after 'the kiss' worked better for them, since they are roommates. It gave them time to sort out their feelings and comet to terms that they could potentially be more than just friends. They were able to communicate over their phones, until Drew came back.
September 9, 2014
Cute and sweet best-friends-to-lovers story. Not ground braking but enough for a quick and entertaining read.
September 14, 2014
Thank you Elizabeth Daniels for this free story and thanks to all the other authors who participated in this event.
Very cute friends to lovers story. Two sweet boys finding and getting exactly what they both have always wanted. Super sweet and holy freaking phone sex! Whew!
Very cute friends to lovers story. Two sweet boys finding and getting exactly what they both have always wanted. Super sweet and holy freaking phone sex! Whew!
September 12, 2014
Another winner from this author.
Dan was adorably oblivious to Drew's true feelings...and to his own feelings as well. I love Dan's discussion with his Mum...
Drew is SO sweet. I'm glad he finally took a chance. I can't imagine holding out for 4 years....gahhhh!
Together they are an adorable, sweet and sexy couple!
The airport scene...oh yes...so lovey-dovey. Exactly how I would want the love of my life to greet me?! A great fix for my HEA need!
Dan was adorably oblivious to Drew's true feelings...and to his own feelings as well. I love Dan's discussion with his Mum...
Drew is SO sweet. I'm glad he finally took a chance. I can't imagine holding out for 4 years....gahhhh!
Together they are an adorable, sweet and sexy couple!
The airport scene...oh yes...so lovey-dovey. Exactly how I would want the love of my life to greet me?! A great fix for my HEA need!
dnf
June 26, 2015At the core of this there's an enthusiasm that makes me want to like it more than I did. I got to 88% but for me the random side characters kill it.
The first chapter is Dan meeting random people and I almost didn't continue to reach the point we meet his friend Drew. When the friends separate there's scenes with more randoms - nosy, possibly alcoholic , Sam who I found more creepy than quirky and trucker/bouncer/barman/? Noah who felt like he was popping in from another story, then there's Dan's mother and with everything being said to these random people I didn't care enough for a rehash with the boys actually talking to each other. Drew and Dan were too interchangeable too.
It's cute; friends of four years getting a clue, the enthusiasm makes the story bubble off the page. I wish I could say I enjoyed it...
The first chapter is Dan meeting random people and I almost didn't continue to reach the point we meet his friend Drew. When the friends separate there's scenes with more randoms - nosy, possibly alcoholic , Sam who I found more creepy than quirky and trucker/bouncer/barman/? Noah who felt like he was popping in from another story, then there's Dan's mother and with everything being said to these random people I didn't care enough for a rehash with the boys actually talking to each other. Drew and Dan were too interchangeable too.
It's cute; friends of four years getting a clue, the enthusiasm makes the story bubble off the page. I wish I could say I enjoyed it...
May 17, 2020
Nice little story of friends becoming more than friends. Dan is oblivious to Drew's feelings for him until one night all that changes with a kiss. Nothing really to say except it was short and sweet and I liked it, and the typical drama tropes that come up actually don't create drama or misunderstandings, so that was nice too. This one is low on the heat factor (just one phone sex scene).
One niggle: "Dan" and "Drew" are a little too close together for the names of the MCs and that showed in a few places where the author got them switched around too.
One niggle: "Dan" and "Drew" are a little too close together for the names of the MCs and that showed in a few places where the author got them switched around too.
April 27, 2016
Friends to lovers. Yes!
July 21, 2024
2.5 Stars. I felt the love but not really much chemistry between these best friends.
September 11, 2014
Cute and enjoyable story of two best friends, but it had a resolution on page 21 and kept going for 37 more pages. I also thought it had too many irrelevant details and characters.
The entire two paragraphs describing taking a drink, including the line "Dan poured two fingers of whiskey into a lowball glass...." could have been replaced with six words: "Dan took a drink for courage."
The characters and antics Dan encounters at the bar are mostly irrelevant and one is confusing to me. Thomas said he was meeting a "friend" who was claimed as a brother a few seconds later. It's implied that their relationship is more than fraternal but Thomas is straight, we're told.
Still, even though it meandered, I had fun reading it.
The entire two paragraphs describing taking a drink, including the line "Dan poured two fingers of whiskey into a lowball glass...." could have been replaced with six words: "Dan took a drink for courage."
The characters and antics Dan encounters at the bar are mostly irrelevant and one is confusing to me. Thomas said he was meeting a "friend" who was claimed as a brother a few seconds later. It's implied that their relationship is more than fraternal but Thomas is straight, we're told.
Still, even though it meandered, I had fun reading it.
March 12, 2015
Cute contemporary friends to lovers story of two graduate studenta who have been best friends for four years before one makes a move. Nice easy read but a bit too fluffy for me
October 10, 2014
Very cute, "get your head outta your ass, Dan" friends to lovers story. Loved Drew and I loved that Dan's mom called him a selfish child!
September 22, 2014
3.25 stars
June 12, 2017
Perfection from the title to the pace of the story. Both characters had a long time to get to know each other, and they had a mature process to turn their epic bromance into epic romance. Beautufully done. Plus, really likeable characters. Sam and Noah need to appear in their own stories though. I just can't help but wonder if Sam is truly a writer insert.
July 23, 2020
Well that phone sex did it for me. Wish we got more than that though. Anyways. Cute story. Cute boys. Always down for the friends to lovers trope. Main problem was the fact that I couldn’t keep the two characters separated in my head. I was confused as to who was who for most of this.
February 15, 2021
I read this years ago and came across it recently and decided I needed to revisit Dan snd Drew. Friends to lovers is my favorite. This one was sweet and short with just the right balance of angst, friendship, and passion.
dnf
February 20, 2021DNF because I didn't get enough bromance before the romance started and a female character suddenly appeared. Can't compare with my favorite bromance to romance, 5 Times Stiles & Derek's Classmates Noticed They Were in a Committed Relationship and 1 Time Stiles Noticed.
August 3, 2018
Adorable I love a good Bromance turned romance.
August 17, 2022
3.25 rating Friends to lovers m/m romance. Fun read
May 26, 2025
loved it
June 14, 2015
I really liked this story. I thought it was well written and I think the hallway kiss was the best description of kisses I had for that situation, where you just get brave as hell and are going for broke. It brought back memories & made me wish again for those go for broke moments. I think that this was one of the most raw (realistic) stories I have read in a while where you could easily slip into being either character and know exactly where each are coming from. I really liked it... and I did not know this was part of a writing exercise I just read it blindly which I do for fun to feed my reading addiction (even trolling unpublished author websites to feed "the beast" lol). But this one was a gem.
July 13, 2017
Super sweet friends to lovers story about Dan and Drew. I just loved how Drew coddled Dan when he got home from his bar crawl. Tickles on the back are the best! I admit I enjoyed that they were apart after their first kiss and just had to resort to smokin' phone sex. Yum! Another great story from our group. Thank you Elizabeth!
November 29, 2014
Sweet short to the point drew and Dan been best friends for 4 years, Drew has been in love with dan who has no clue. Drew has the courage to kiss dan but the next day he leaves for a work trip. This leave dan with full of question which will wait.
April 2, 2016
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
Want to read
October 13, 2014
March 26, 2015
*** 2.5 Stars ***
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews