What do you think?
Rate this book
Semper Fidelis
Always Ready
Making a living on the Bering Sea is hard enough, but throw love into the equation, and things can blow into a hurricane.
Senior Chief Dean ‘Jake’ Jacobson loves his job as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Saving lives is the second best thing he could ever do. The first is loving Phil ‘Rhody’ Rhodes.
Phil is a third generation crabber who fishes the Bering Sea. Being gay and in love with Dean isn’t something he talks about, especially not with the six men he lives with on the Angela Kayla for weeks on end. But he’s been happy with his life.
Until one day the Bering Sea reminds them that she is a dangerous place to work. As her icy waters surround them, they discover one truth. Dean and Phil must always be ready to love each other because life can be taken so easily when one works on the sea.
Senior Chief Dean ‘Jake’ Jacobson loves his job as a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Saving lives is the second best thing he could ever do. The first is loving Phil ‘Rhody’ Rhodes.
Phil is a third generation crabber who fishes the Bering Sea. Being gay and in love with Dean isn’t something he talks about, especially not with the six men he lives with on the Angela Kayla for weeks on end. But he’s been happy with his life.
Until one day the Bering Sea reminds them that she is a dangerous place to work. As her icy waters surround them, they discover one truth. Dean and Phil must always be ready to love each other because life can be taken so easily when one works on the sea.
42 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2015
4 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
T.A. Chase
161 books893 followersThere is beauty in every kind of love, so why not live a life without boundaries? Experiencing everything the world offers fascinates me and writing about the things that make each of us unique is how I share those insights. I live in the Midwest with a wonderful partner of thirteen years. When not writing, I’m watching movies, reading and living life to the fullest.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 15, 2015
3.5 stars
Originally included in the Semper Fidelis anthology this short story focuses on 28 year old crab fisherman Phil and 38 year old Coast Guard rescue swimmer Dean. Together for two years, the men both have incredibly dangerous jobs that keep them apart most of the time. While Skype, texting and phone calls keep them connected, they are lucky if they manage to see each other once per month.
I am used to reading stories about closeted military men, but this one was a bit different since Dean is out and Phil is the closeted one. Working on his father’s crab boat, out on the Bering Sea is dangerous on the best of days (if you’ve ever watched Deadliest Catch you know it’s brutal), and he is not sure how his family or the men on the crew would react if he came out. Meeting up with Dean again before shipping out, the two men can’t keep their hands off each other and they are definitely hot together. Hiding who he is and denying Dean as a full part of his life isn’t enough anymore and Phil is determined to come out, but first he needs to cast off and Dean needs to get back to work. As a huge storm hits while Phil is on the boat there is every chance that one of them might not make it back.
As short as the story is, I felt I got to know each of the men rather well as they discussed their families and Phil’s plans to come out. There was some action and tension when the storm hits and Dean has to make a choice when his personal life collides with his professional life. I felt the connection between the two men as their emotions warred with the practicalities of their lives and professions and was glad to see them working out a plan for their HEA.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
Originally included in the Semper Fidelis anthology this short story focuses on 28 year old crab fisherman Phil and 38 year old Coast Guard rescue swimmer Dean. Together for two years, the men both have incredibly dangerous jobs that keep them apart most of the time. While Skype, texting and phone calls keep them connected, they are lucky if they manage to see each other once per month.
I am used to reading stories about closeted military men, but this one was a bit different since Dean is out and Phil is the closeted one. Working on his father’s crab boat, out on the Bering Sea is dangerous on the best of days (if you’ve ever watched Deadliest Catch you know it’s brutal), and he is not sure how his family or the men on the crew would react if he came out. Meeting up with Dean again before shipping out, the two men can’t keep their hands off each other and they are definitely hot together. Hiding who he is and denying Dean as a full part of his life isn’t enough anymore and Phil is determined to come out, but first he needs to cast off and Dean needs to get back to work. As a huge storm hits while Phil is on the boat there is every chance that one of them might not make it back.
As short as the story is, I felt I got to know each of the men rather well as they discussed their families and Phil’s plans to come out. There was some action and tension when the storm hits and Dean has to make a choice when his personal life collides with his professional life. I felt the connection between the two men as their emotions warred with the practicalities of their lives and professions and was glad to see them working out a plan for their HEA.
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
August 28, 2016
Rescue swimmers have my admiration. Not just are they fit and strong, but they risk their own lives to save those in trouble. The two men in this story are both linked to the water – Dean is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and Phil is a fisherman. But when things go wrong where he lives, near the Bering Sea, they will need Dean’s iron determination, Phil’s courage, and a whole lot of luck to survive the freezing water.
Suspense on the high seas is the focus of this story, and Coast Guard rescue swimmer Dean is out to save lives while exploring the possibilities of sharing his life with the man he has fallen in love with. Phil is a fisherman, and makes a living braving the Bering Sea on the family boat. The descriptions of icy waters, people potentially freezing to death almost before they can drown, and the desperate determination of the Coast Guard to save them before it is too late, held my attention. Dean’s reaction to the news of Phil’s ship having capsized was a little too professional and distant for me, but it is entirely possible Dean was just trying to protect himself. Don’t read this unless you’re snug and warm and far from any ocean!
If you like military men and those who fall in love with them, if you want to read about two men who love each other deeply but aren’t sure they will be welcomed by the people who share their lives, and if you’re looking for a read that is as terrifying as it is heartwarming, then you will probably like this short story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Suspense on the high seas is the focus of this story, and Coast Guard rescue swimmer Dean is out to save lives while exploring the possibilities of sharing his life with the man he has fallen in love with. Phil is a fisherman, and makes a living braving the Bering Sea on the family boat. The descriptions of icy waters, people potentially freezing to death almost before they can drown, and the desperate determination of the Coast Guard to save them before it is too late, held my attention. Dean’s reaction to the news of Phil’s ship having capsized was a little too professional and distant for me, but it is entirely possible Dean was just trying to protect himself. Don’t read this unless you’re snug and warm and far from any ocean!
If you like military men and those who fall in love with them, if you want to read about two men who love each other deeply but aren’t sure they will be welcomed by the people who share their lives, and if you’re looking for a read that is as terrifying as it is heartwarming, then you will probably like this short story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
July 10, 2016
This is a short story about two good men who happen to be gay. One is a crab fisherman in the Bering Sea and the other is a rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard. We learn that the official term is Aviation Survival Technician; the air force also has Air Force Pararescuemen called PJs who do this work if needed as a backup.
Phil and Dean are a strong couple and have each experienced difficulties with general or family acceptance. This is an adult romance story with bedroom activity.
The first half of the story breaks the show don't tell rule by telling us about the way the guys make a living through their thoughts and glimpses of memory, as they drink in a bar or go back to their room. This is the main reason why I don't give a better rating. Only in the fourth chapter, halfway through, do the guys actually go out and get wet. This is well realised with a storm under way. The tale could be rewritten so that we first see the guys each doing what they do, before they meet up on shore and the rest of the tale gets under way. Reading about these jobs is interesting and I am always pleased to read about the outdoors. A gay reader might give a better rating.
I received an ARC for an unbiased review.
Phil and Dean are a strong couple and have each experienced difficulties with general or family acceptance. This is an adult romance story with bedroom activity.
The first half of the story breaks the show don't tell rule by telling us about the way the guys make a living through their thoughts and glimpses of memory, as they drink in a bar or go back to their room. This is the main reason why I don't give a better rating. Only in the fourth chapter, halfway through, do the guys actually go out and get wet. This is well realised with a storm under way. The tale could be rewritten so that we first see the guys each doing what they do, before they meet up on shore and the rest of the tale gets under way. Reading about these jobs is interesting and I am always pleased to read about the outdoors. A gay reader might give a better rating.
I received an ARC for an unbiased review.
June 18, 2015
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads
Although this is a short read, it has a well rounded and full story in its pages. I loved that we joined them two years into a relationship - even if one on the quiet. It was a hot introduction to the pair, before they had to go back to work. The decisions taken through the whole story were believable and thankfully the outcome was better than one could hope. These are the real alpha males of the world, who risk all to make a living.
Although this is a short read, it has a well rounded and full story in its pages. I loved that we joined them two years into a relationship - even if one on the quiet. It was a hot introduction to the pair, before they had to go back to work. The decisions taken through the whole story were believable and thankfully the outcome was better than one could hope. These are the real alpha males of the world, who risk all to make a living.
Read
December 16, 2023DNF
May 24, 2015
Original Blog Post: Review: Always Ready (Semper Fidelis) by T.A. Chase
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4 of 4 Stars
(Based on Short&Light Read Category)
Always Ready is a very short, fast paced, suspensefilled, romantic... hold on.
How could a very short story be all of this? Well, apparently, the author is this one talented individual who was able to pen this incredibly sweet love story between two men who almost lost their chance to be together.
Phil ‘Rhody’ Rhodes and reminds me of Robert "Bobby" Shatford of The Perfect Storm. While in that real-life tale Bobby was the least experienced and was lost in sea, Rhody is very experienced, listens to logic, and does everything he possibly could to survive a storm that capsizes his fishing boat. All he needs to do is to wait for rescue to come.
Senior Chief Dean ‘Jake’ Jacobson is a rescue swimmer who finds himself torn from rescuing his lover to rescuing another crew on the other side of the storm. His struggle between wanting to rush to his lover's side and to rescue those in desperate need beside him tells of his determination and conviction.
Who are these two men?
They are simply Rhody and Jake. Lovers. Friends. Partners.
Caught in a storm that may tear them apart, we read, we struggle with them. We love with them.
Beautifully penned from someone who is fast becoming a favorite of mine. This may be short but this is beautiful.
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4 of 4 Stars
(Based on Short&Light Read Category)
Always Ready is a very short, fast paced, suspensefilled, romantic... hold on.
How could a very short story be all of this? Well, apparently, the author is this one talented individual who was able to pen this incredibly sweet love story between two men who almost lost their chance to be together.
Phil ‘Rhody’ Rhodes and reminds me of Robert "Bobby" Shatford of The Perfect Storm. While in that real-life tale Bobby was the least experienced and was lost in sea, Rhody is very experienced, listens to logic, and does everything he possibly could to survive a storm that capsizes his fishing boat. All he needs to do is to wait for rescue to come.
Senior Chief Dean ‘Jake’ Jacobson is a rescue swimmer who finds himself torn from rescuing his lover to rescuing another crew on the other side of the storm. His struggle between wanting to rush to his lover's side and to rescue those in desperate need beside him tells of his determination and conviction.
Who are these two men?
They are simply Rhody and Jake. Lovers. Friends. Partners.
Caught in a storm that may tear them apart, we read, we struggle with them. We love with them.
Beautifully penned from someone who is fast becoming a favorite of mine. This may be short but this is beautiful.
July 7, 2015
Always Ready by T.A. Chase is a heartfelt short story that I couldn’t stop reading. I liked that two ordinary guys can find love in the most unlikely of places. They make a long distance relationship work and eventually a happily ever after.
Phil is a crab fisherman. He is a strong man he has to be to be in the job he has. He loves deeply and with all his heart. I liked his laid back nature. He is a guy who sticks with you till the end.
Dean is an aviation survival technician on Kodiak Island. He is a brave alpha personality. He dares to do the jobs most wouldn’t. I liked his daredevil personality very much.
I think they both balance each other out. I liked the flow of this story, though short really felt rounded and well thought out. I would like to visit these two again and see what trouble they got into while we were not looking.
Five Shooting Stars
Phil is a crab fisherman. He is a strong man he has to be to be in the job he has. He loves deeply and with all his heart. I liked his laid back nature. He is a guy who sticks with you till the end.
Dean is an aviation survival technician on Kodiak Island. He is a brave alpha personality. He dares to do the jobs most wouldn’t. I liked his daredevil personality very much.
I think they both balance each other out. I liked the flow of this story, though short really felt rounded and well thought out. I would like to visit these two again and see what trouble they got into while we were not looking.
Five Shooting Stars
June 17, 2015
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
This book drew me to it because I love the show Deadliest Catch, in a way I was hoping it would reflect it. I sure wasn't disappointed.
For a short story I felt it was written very well and was a complete short story, it didn't lack for anything.
As far as the characters I loved them both, Phil who wasn't out to his crew and hid his relationship with Dean, who was a coast guard swimmer. I loved how their relationship developed and it brought a tragedy to bring them closer.
I love T.A. Chase's writing and I'm never disappointed in any of her books. This one included plenty of action along with suspense and a lot of romance
This book drew me to it because I love the show Deadliest Catch, in a way I was hoping it would reflect it. I sure wasn't disappointed.
For a short story I felt it was written very well and was a complete short story, it didn't lack for anything.
As far as the characters I loved them both, Phil who wasn't out to his crew and hid his relationship with Dean, who was a coast guard swimmer. I loved how their relationship developed and it brought a tragedy to bring them closer.
I love T.A. Chase's writing and I'm never disappointed in any of her books. This one included plenty of action along with suspense and a lot of romance
June 18, 2015
FiveStars
This book drew me to it because I love the show Deadliest Catch, in a way I was hoping it would reflect it. I sure wasn't disappointed.
For a short story I felt it was written very well and was a complete short story, it didn't lack for anything.
As far as the characters I loved them both, Phil who wasn't out to his crew and hid his relationship with Dean, who was a coast guard swimmer. I loved how their relationship developed and it brought a tragedy to bring them closer.
I love T.A. Chase's writing and I'm never disappointed in any of her books. This one included plenty of action along with suspense and a lot of romance.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Sherry
This book drew me to it because I love the show Deadliest Catch, in a way I was hoping it would reflect it. I sure wasn't disappointed.
For a short story I felt it was written very well and was a complete short story, it didn't lack for anything.
As far as the characters I loved them both, Phil who wasn't out to his crew and hid his relationship with Dean, who was a coast guard swimmer. I loved how their relationship developed and it brought a tragedy to bring them closer.
I love T.A. Chase's writing and I'm never disappointed in any of her books. This one included plenty of action along with suspense and a lot of romance.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
Sherry
July 2, 2015
This quick novella gives us a snapshot into the dangers of living and working the Bering Sea. One as a Coast Guard and one on a crab boat, lovers, both committed to their jobs and each other. Phil and Dean and such a great team together. Understanding the lives that the live, the reasons they have to stay hidden but both getting tired of it, Phil wants to take that next step and Dean is scared. The emotion we get between these pages is amazing. Only fifty pages but you get so much.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by Crystals many Reviews
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by Crystals many Reviews
June 20, 2015
Check out our
Always Ready by T.A. Chase
blog post on Wicked Reads.
July 9, 2015
This a great real world story that is heartwarming and believable. I never managed to put this story down. You will find yourself wanting these characters pop up on discovery channel. You get a reminder, that life is too short and sometimes love wins even though what comes before is not what you expect
November 6, 2016
Read as part of Semper Fidelis Anthology.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews