Where You Lead

by Mary Calmes

ATF agent Pete Lomax isn't a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems… until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Pete, loves belonging to the man, and Pete treasures the way Carver understands them together.

Carver loves Pete, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he'll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Pete by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.

Carver has only one Christmas Please, oh please, let Pete fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow him home…and stay forever.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Holiday, Christmas, Audiobook, Short Stories

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 24, 2013

About the author

Mary Calmes believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a six-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders and the neighbor’s dogs. To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja) follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Drowning in sweetness...and firearms. This is typical Calmes fare with the sexy cop who doesn't realize how hot or worthy of love he is until he meets that ONE special guy. Family, friends, Christmas, perfection all around; there was nothing new here, but the lightness, steamy bits, and humor won me over.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todd started it so I'm jumping on his "Best Christmas Book" bandwagon.

Where You Lead is everything. It's standalone Mary Calmes and promises to delight. It's on my absolute favorites shelf and I've re-read it every Christmas since 2013.

Come and sit on Todd's bandwagon with me and update YOUR favorite Christmas book review! Let's spread some warm/fuzzy cheer. :)

P.S. Todd, this one has PUPPIES!!!

Carver sprinted for the porch, the dogs remaining behind with me because I had dropped to one knee and petted them hard, rubbing and scratching behind their ears. I loved dogs—the ferocity of their love and the depth of devotion. I patted them soundly, thumping their sides before I rose, and they trailed after me, tails wagging, bumping my hands, licking, wanting more.

Best Christmas book ever!

Re-read April, 2016
Best Christmas book ever!

[Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merry Christmas to ME!!!!!

Thank you Queen O’ Fluff for this delightful Holiday read. I lurved it!

This is MC at her finest…and it reminded me a bit of one of my other faves of hers, “Frog”. Pete in this story is a lot like Weber Yates in Frog. He’s big, strong, hot, kind, caring, and everyone loves him. But he loves everyone. And he loves Carver the most. And this love is…BEAUTIFUL. So, when Carver’s family falls on some hard times and he’s needed back home, Pete is the rock that he can rely on…the glue that makes everything better for everyone.

It may be too simple or too sticky sweet a tale for some, but it felt like a true Christmas gift to me. I am always in love with the stories of men fiercely devoted to one another in love and this one showed the truly gorgeous side to that. For a short story, it still managed to display a loving relationship, make you fall for both MC’s, and sprinkled w/ signature MC hot lovemaking scenes! A complete story in very few pages and warmed my heart.

WINS all around!

[Emma Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm cold and I need a peacoat. Mary where is my peacoat??

Ah, my eggnog read for Boxing Day!

[BWT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg Tremblay knocks it out of the park again!



There's just something about Mary Calmes' writing. This author manages to bring funny, sweet, heat and feels all together so brilliantly every time, and this time is no different. Considering how short this short novella is - it's amazing just how much is packed into it. It's got humor, hot sex, deep emotions, more humor and more hot sex. It's a fantastic time - BUY IT!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Easter Egg for us nerds: For those of us who loved All Kinds of Tied Down - this is the story that's mentioned during the weekly poker game.



This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

Read/Listened: 08/19/2014, 09/15/2015

[☆ Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this one started out okay for me, with the first meeting, fooling around in the alley and getting to know a bit more about the MC's, but then took on an entirely different, much more serious tone.

When they arrived in Mayberry (not the real name, but you get what I mean) from Chicago, I pretty much lost interest entirely.

It hit a bit too close to home for me, with all of the Southern folk up in everyone's business, jealousy and pettiness from several decades ago in high school still being held onto, and everyone going to church as a social outlet, more than as a religious experience.

Also, the dad was a good ole' boy, who was into hunting and fishing, so when his artist son's macho, ATF agent boyfriend shows up, it's like he finally got the Christmas gift he'd always wanted. The son he'd always wanted, someone to do all of those 'manly' activities with.

That really didn't sit right with me at all. Like he'd always considered his *real* son to be more like a daughter or, I don't know, just something alien to him. Sorry, but you love your kids for who they are, not who you'd prefer them to be. And make them feel that love, know that it's real.

Then the sex toward the end just came across as 'required,' not like it actually belonged or was necessary at that part in the story.

At the start, I enjoyed the snark and confidence, but toward the end, Carter's cockiness and the use of sex just felt a bit like not-so-subtle manipulation to me, so this one rated about 2.75 stars in my eyes.

[SheReadsALot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh!! The power of Mary Calmes! Christmas style!

Actually this was not a heavy jingle bells-coming-out-your-arse short story which for a reader who does not crave copious amounts of Christmas sugar cubes in her stories, it was great. With this author, I like knowing what types of lead characters I will get. I know I'm going to get a possessive alpha-type, a man who loves him and some hot man loving. This book delivered that. Yes it could be considered insta-love, but the story really starts after the happily ever after.

Peter is thirty-four, has a great job (ATF agent), good friends and never had a chance to settle down until he met Carver Fleming, artist and gallery owner, at a party one night in Chicago. The two hit it off immediately and BOOM! insta-love. Plus hot alley sex! Intense and yummy and always a plus in my book. Cut to these two men six months later and Carver has made some important decisions for both he and Pete without consulting like leaving Chicago and moving to Colt, Kentucky aka "Mayberry" as per Pete (I can't hate on the nickname).

The couple has minor quibbles but they are ironed out. Colt, Kentucky doesn't look as bad as Pete immerses himself in the small town life, meets Carver's parents and learns about the importance of family. Carver has to move home to help take care of his mother. And that is touching but I was not that keen on the way he just dropped it on Pete. Relationships work when communication in not one way. Granted the move was necessary but I understood Pete's reaction.

I must say the way Pete's mother's illness was captured struck a chord with me. It was touching but also was done with respect and dignity. Sometimes authors fail with presenting certain illnesses when it comes to fiction or they play too much on the heartstrings without letting the character shine through. This was not the case in "Where You Lead".

Other than Carver's manipulative ways and not discussing life changing topics with his partner instead of for his partner, I enjoyed this tale. Quibbles were smoothed out into a continued HEA. It was light, funny, sweet and hot. Perfect for a quick in between read.

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Well-paced and managing to pull off a convincing and heart-melting romance between ATF agent Peter Lomax and his artist lover Carver Fleming, this holiday novella is one of the most enjoyable non-series stories I’ve read by Calmes to date.

Not generally a fan of reading about established couples (unless it’s a sequel and I’ve already witnessed the evolution of a relationship), I was surprised by how quickly I was won over by gentle-giant lawman Pete and his effervescent boyfriend of six months Carver.

The strength of their love was made obvious quickly, and with a storyline involving a huge relationship compromise/sacrifice from one for the other, it was also obvious at what lengths these two would go, not only to be together, but to support and love each other unconditionally.

This story, although short, managed to pack in some serious emotions too, not just of the romantic variety, but also of the familial bonds shared between Carver and his parents, and especially between Pete and Carver’s ailing mother. Some of these sweet and moving interactions got me right in the feels, elevating this brief story to new heights.

Quick, sweet and deliciously romantic, this story will undoubtably go over a treat for all lovers of memorable M/M themed holiday romances.

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!

Note to readers - this is a small tangent from Calmes’s Marshals series, featuring the work partner of Elliot Dorsey, younger brother of Jack Dorsey, who works with Miro and Ian. Confused? Don’t be. Just thought I’d throw that out there for background info because I was tickled pink to realize the connection, no matter how small and insignificant.

Anyways… what I appreciate about this is that I know we're gonna get a relationship where both players are 110% all in. It’s possessive and claiming and intense, not to mention full on smexy with a good dose of ridiculousness. Short and very sweet - I’m a happy reader.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Heartwarming Stars!! Funny, touching, and oh so sweet! Lots of story in this beautiful short!

In a nutshell...this is about making a sacrifice for the one you love, so they can care for the ones they love...and that my friends is what true love is all about! My face might crack, because I can't stop smiling! Simply charming!

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Calmes is an excellent writer ! Her characters will have you engaged right away.
*** What a delightful enthralling read. ***
Yes, I agree with Gigi, it's a beautiful Christmas story !

This is witty, sharp, funny, serious and adorable. A gruff Special Agent for the ATF meets his match with a sassy artist. Told in first person by Pete, gruff but lovable, we see everything that happens and we know Carver's thoughts as well. Carver's family is magnificent. A beautiful story of true devotion and deep love; the forever kind. Gosh, this made me feel good inside !
I loved it so much. This amazing short read is perfection with each word and thought.
It is also totally HOT and very sexy ! Big agent, smaller artist, and so much more !

I highly recommend this wonderful book.
ENJOY !
==================

Merged review:

Mary Calmes is an excellent writer ! Her characters will have you engaged right away.
*** What a delightful enthralling read. ***

Yes, I agree with Gigi, it's a beautiful Christmas story !

This is witty, sharp, funny, serious and adorable. A gruff Special Agent for the ATF meets his match with a sassy artist. Told in first person by Pete, gruff but lovable, we see everything that happens and we know Carver's thoughts as well. Carver's family is magnificent. A beautiful story of true devotion and deep love; the forever kind. Gosh, this made me feel good inside !
I loved it so much. This amazing short read is perfection with each word and thought.
It is also totally HOT and very sexy ! Big agent, smaller artist, and so much more !

I highly recommend this wonderful book.
ENJOY !

==================

[Jenni Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it about a Mary Calmes book that makes me just so... happy? Whenever I hear a new book is coming out I get giddy and when I finally get to read it I do so with glee. Her writing speaks to me. From the quick back and forth to the steamy love scenes, her books call to me. Seriously, the woman could write the damn phone book and I would be jumping to read it.

This book was no different. The juvenile banter between Elliott and Pete had me in stitches. It certainly brought out my inner 12 year old boy. And Carver's family! I lurved them so!

This one's going on my favorites list and will absolutely be a multiple re-read for me. :D

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so damn sweet!

I loved Pete and Carver.
I loved Carver's parents and the decision that had to be made and how they got there.
This was a totally sugary, Christmas fest and it was perfect!

[Elizabetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Un coup de foudre’ -- literally, the French expression means a ‘thunderbolt’ and figuratively, what happens when you meet ‘the one’. Peter Lomax and Carver Fleming meet at a friend’s house party, and it’s pretty much love at first sight.

Six months later they’re living together and have a decision to make that will effect their lives in a huge way.

I loved this. Mary Calmes seems to write just for me sometimes, when I want to luxuriate in sexy, gaga-for-each-other characters, and here, she somehow avoids the dreaded insta-love trap. I felt the quick click, the swift but deep fall of two people made for each other. I love how they meet. This is not the first time I’ve drooled over Calmes’ specialty… the ‘first meet’. I love the flirting, the banter. I love how they fight. Grown-up fighting! I love how Peter and Carver love each other, what they’ll consider to stay together.

“I was finally, desperately, in love. He was my home and I was his.” -- Peter

This is also a bit of family drama but in a quiet, gentle way. Carver’s mom is having serious health problems and he brings Peter home for Christmas to meet the parents and to consider moving close to them to help out. This is a huge commitment, especially since before Carver, Peter was never into the ‘C’ word. Will he follow where Carver wants to lead?

Calmes effectively weaves the issue of aging parents and illness into the romance. The scenes showing Peter’s interaction with Carver’s mother uncover the depth of his character. His interactions with Carver’s dad are humorous… can the gay city slicker keep up with manly-men, huntin’ ’n fishin’ country boys? Peter has a few surprises of his own and it’s fun to see how he responds to the testing. The holidays and family are often fertile ground for big drama, but here, Calmes crafts a story about love, giving and sacrifice, and delivers it with a dollop of humor.

My only complaint is that, while this is a well-rounded shortie, I want more. I would have loved to peep in on the two guys at the very start of their relationship (they rub up against each other in oh-so-satisfying ways), yup, more peeping would have been just fine… And I could certainly read more about where they go from here. If there were to be a sequel (hint, hint) I’d line up posthaste. This is a lovely holiday read.

For this review and much more:

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seem to just love torturing myself with these perfect shorties.

They are never, never, never long enough and I just keep re-reading them over and over and over again.

Re-Read 2022
*******
Can I be in love with a book? I think I am in love with this one. Fucking perfect.

Read.

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Audio Re-Read**

Still such a feel good story of realizing home isn't a place at all.
-------
Audio

This is fun to go back to after reading about Miro and Ian.

I love how Mary throws little bits and pieces into her books.

It's always nice to revisit old friends or find clues.

My original review.

[Annery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread December 2018
My review stands. In fact I think I may love it even more. I think this was my first Mary Calmes and definitely my first Greg Tremblay. It was one of my better choices.

If you're feeling jaded or embittered this will set you right, put you in the spirit of Christmas in a non-saccharine way. Yes, Pete & Carver are pretty much all over each other from the get-go of their relationship, but they're also grown-ups who've lived enough and recognize a good/true thing when they see it. They're also smart enough to not play the coy game.
"I had thought if I followed him, it would make me weak, but it turned out bending for your partner was part of what made a true union, born of commitment and faith. You made concessions for people you loved, and for me, there was only one person who actually had a hold on my heart."

This can very well become a Christmas tradition for me. :D

****************************************************************
ORIGINAL REVIEW

I freakin' loved this! I'm sure that a big part of it is that I listened to the audio by Greg Tremblay. He can read me the phone book and I'd be happy.

This is a sweet story about the willing sacrifices we make for family, those of our blood and those we choose for love. Carver Fleming has to return to his hometown to help care for his ailing mother and is hoping that a Christmas trip will convince his boyfriend, Peter Lomax an agent for the ATF to transfer to Lexington so that they can remain a couple now they've found each other. Peter and Carver are both adults who know what they want and fortunately make no bones about it.

Mary Calmes shows her enormous talent by giving us the story of Carver's parents, his uncle & his partner, how Peter & Carver met, what Peter's work life is like and what Peter and Carver's future may look like in a deeply satisfying, emotional yet not cloying way all in the space of a Holiday short.

*** I should clear up that there is no D/s relationship as the blurb seems to suggest. Peter is just your average no nonsense law enforcement agent who knows what he wants and when and will stand by his man through tick or thin.***

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Honestly, the blurb had me passing this one by. It didn't sound like something I'd want to read, but a few friends read it and alleviated my fears. ( mostly the possessiveness that was alluded to and had me thinking controlling stalker.)
So, the blurb doesn't fit the story IMHO but that's ok.
Pete and Carver see each other and it's the beginning of a love affair.
I had to force myself throughout the first few pages, the dialogue was a bit ridiculous and didn't seem to match the Pete I saw later on in the story.
We are six months in to their relationship and only see the beginning through their memories, so we have an established couple and one sort of ambushes the other with his decision to move his life.
There really is no conflict or angst, it's a sweet, fluffy, soul-mate, sappily in love and need to be together kind of story.
The small town 'politics' as described by Carver's dad was funny and seeing the issues facing his family, due to his mother's illness is something a lot of adult children can identify with.
It's a sweet story about compromise and bending a little.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ha, this was so much better than I thought it would be. 😁 MC has a definite style and I have to take her in small doses. I don't know if she was having a chill writing day or because it was so short she wasn't able to pack in her usual obsessions, but whatever it was I liked it. I do recommend this Christmas shortie.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add this to my shelf of favorite holiday reads! I absolutely loved Pete and Carver!! They were so sweet together. And Pete and his partner Elliott were hilarious. 5 stars!!

[Elsbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Narrator: Greg Tremblay

This audio had me smiling the whole time!! It was so damnnn sweet!!! Now I just wanna read X-mas stories!!! Can I???



Carver and Pete are in love but Carver needs to move home to help his family. His mother has had a stroke so his father needs help to take care of her!!
Peter is an ATF agent and has this big career going in Chicago. Will he follow his love of his life to the small town "Mayberry" Colt in Kentucky and leave his work partner and friends behind?

I had thought if I followed him, it would make me weak, but it turned out bending for your partner was part of what made a true union, born of commitment and faith. You made concessions for people you loved, and for me, there was only one person who actually had a hold on my heart.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit more of the short and sweet...

I loved this story when I read it back in 2014...
2014 Review: Where You Lead

and if anything I became even more enchanted with this one as I listened to the audio rendition which was so perfectly captured once again by Greg Tremblay.

Seriously Mary Calmes + Greg Tremblay = AUDIO BLISS!!!

Peace out, folks. I'm on to my next book.

[Jilrene · Rating 4 out of 5]

very sweet established couple story

[Natasha]

Fine. I'll bite.

[Pjm12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Calmes doesn't give us a lot of backstory. She throws us into a relationship 6 months in and hits us (and the narrator, Pete, one of the people in this relationship) with some very sad and difficult news.

Pete has decisions to make. I loved Carver as much as Pete, I'm sure, so really in the end, the choice is not hard to make at all.

Gorgeous, sexy xmas story.

Xmas story #24.

[Leaundra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, just like I did the first time I read it in 2013. I loved both Peter and Carver. It was short and sweet.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 3.75 Stars ***

This was a floofy ball of xmas sweetness.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a lovely, heartwarming Christmas story about Pete and Carver, who have been in a relationship for the past 6 months.

Carver is moving to his home town to help his mom. He wants Pete to move with him, but Pete isn’t sure.

This was super sweet, no angst whatsoever. Very nice to get into the holiday spirit.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. I liked this novella but be forewarned my reviews are not unbiased as I have a thing for Mary Calmes' stories. Not easy to explain but there it is. I can understand other readers' critical views as the points raised are certainly valid. But she can write as many variations as she likes involving her Jory and Sam's, and Stefan and Rand's, and I'll probably read them all.

[MostlyDelores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam ("Pete") and Jory ("Carver") go home to Carver's parents for Christmas.
It is exactly what I expected, but a 59 page book with only 44 pages of story is bullshit.
I still had tea in my mug when it ended, for Pete's (Sam's) sake.