What do you think?
Angles
Dear Author,
Why is this guy sitting on the hood of his Jeep in the pouring rain? To my eye, he seems tired and a little sad, but you may feel differently. How did he get here and how does he get to his happily-ever-after? What will it take for him to come in out of the rain?
Photo Description:
A Jeep Rubicon sits parked under the trees in a muddy clearing in a cedar forest. A fine drizzle fills the air. On top of the hood, a good-looking, unshaven man in blue jeans and a work shirt lies back against the windshield, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. One hand rests on his thigh, and he tips his face to the sky with his eyes closed. He exudes weariness.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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.
Why is this guy sitting on the hood of his Jeep in the pouring rain? To my eye, he seems tired and a little sad, but you may feel differently. How did he get here and how does he get to his happily-ever-after? What will it take for him to come in out of the rain?
Photo Description:
A Jeep Rubicon sits parked under the trees in a muddy clearing in a cedar forest. A fine drizzle fills the air. On top of the hood, a good-looking, unshaven man in blue jeans and a work shirt lies back against the windshield, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. One hand rests on his thigh, and he tips his face to the sky with his eyes closed. He exudes weariness.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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.
49 pages, ebook
First published August 27, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 28, 2015
~4.25~
This is a clever, suspenseful story.
The MCs are Russian and feel Russian. I know a thing or two about Eastern Europeans, so take my word for it.
The dialogue is sharp and realistic. This story has a PRESENCE, a tightly wrapped tension; you're just waiting for the match to strike.
Sad, lonely Dima can't believe the gorgeous Mikhail could want someone like him. Dima does his best to push Mikhail away, but Mikhail knows how to touch and hold, how to listen.
The sex is explosive and edgy. Good lord but Mikhail has such a dirty mouth on him.
When you hear about Dima's ordeal, you'll want to scream and cry with him.
I saw the twist coming before it was revealed, but I think that's part of the game.
The ending seemed too easy, but it's what I wanted for Dima, and I was happy to take it.
This is a clever, suspenseful story.
The MCs are Russian and feel Russian. I know a thing or two about Eastern Europeans, so take my word for it.
The dialogue is sharp and realistic. This story has a PRESENCE, a tightly wrapped tension; you're just waiting for the match to strike.
Sad, lonely Dima can't believe the gorgeous Mikhail could want someone like him. Dima does his best to push Mikhail away, but Mikhail knows how to touch and hold, how to listen.
The sex is explosive and edgy. Good lord but Mikhail has such a dirty mouth on him.
When you hear about Dima's ordeal, you'll want to scream and cry with him.
I saw the twist coming before it was revealed, but I think that's part of the game.
The ending seemed too easy, but it's what I wanted for Dima, and I was happy to take it.
August 27, 2015
Heartfelt suspense.
Great atmosphere and character reveal that steals the show. Add in all the little details, which bring a tangible quality to the story and you definitely feel like you're in Brussels.
Dima, I love you. And Mikhail, you charmed me. Honestly, this is a gorgeously told romantic suspense. I refuse to say anymore for fear that I'll divulge too much. Yes, I beta-read this so I suppose that you should take all I said with a grain of salt, but don't deny yourself the exquisite imagery and tender moments.
Don't cheat yourself out of the experience.
Favorite reparte:
My thanks to the authors for participating in the MM Group's 2015 Don't Read in the Closet event, Love Is an Open Road
Great atmosphere and character reveal that steals the show. Add in all the little details, which bring a tangible quality to the story and you definitely feel like you're in Brussels.
They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked the trail, the only sounds the whisper of leaves brushing in the wind and the occasional soft call of a nuthatch.Very cinematographic in the telling, it reads like a Luc Besson film--and that's all I'll tell you as far as spoilers go.
Dima, I love you. And Mikhail, you charmed me. Honestly, this is a gorgeously told romantic suspense. I refuse to say anymore for fear that I'll divulge too much. Yes, I beta-read this so I suppose that you should take all I said with a grain of salt, but don't deny yourself the exquisite imagery and tender moments.
Don't cheat yourself out of the experience.
Favorite reparte:
It dropped to the floor, scattering dozens of square foil packets and a half-empty bottle of lube across the room. Mikhail laughed. “You’re well prepared.”
Dima threw his arm over his eyes. “Kill me now.”
My thanks to the authors for participating in the MM Group's 2015 Don't Read in the Closet event, Love Is an Open Road
August 28, 2015
Tripoli did a fantastic job with an ambiguous prompt.
Mikhail and Dima are displaced Russians in Brussels. They meet at a sex club. Initially I was thinking this story would be some mediocre glitterkink filled with BDSM pomp and circumstance that would undoubtedly bore me to tears.
But it took a welcome and surprising turn down Suspense Lane ending up in Espionage Court.
I love that destination!
Intriguing storyline with well fleshed out characters made for an entertaining read.
It's clear early on that Dima has suffered. His loneliness is palpable, and his self-image is so distorted that he's accepted his solitary existence. Were it not for his pushy and delightful best friend, Izzy, he'd be sitting at home eating TV dinners watching Eurovision. Perish the thought.
Mikhail is very dogged in his pursuit of the dysphoric Dima, arranging picnics, showing interest in many of the things Dima's passionate about and whispering filthy nothings in his ear while molesting him IN PUBLIC!!!!
Evocative and fluid writing style that drew me in and the imagery of Brussels and the surrounding area was very vivid. Makes me want to see it for myself.
Thanks to the author and their team for participating in the LOR event.
Mikhail and Dima are displaced Russians in Brussels. They meet at a sex club. Initially I was thinking this story would be some mediocre glitterkink filled with BDSM pomp and circumstance that would undoubtedly bore me to tears.
But it took a welcome and surprising turn down Suspense Lane ending up in Espionage Court.
I love that destination!
Intriguing storyline with well fleshed out characters made for an entertaining read.
It's clear early on that Dima has suffered. His loneliness is palpable, and his self-image is so distorted that he's accepted his solitary existence. Were it not for his pushy and delightful best friend, Izzy, he'd be sitting at home eating TV dinners watching Eurovision. Perish the thought.
Mikhail is very dogged in his pursuit of the dysphoric Dima, arranging picnics, showing interest in many of the things Dima's passionate about and whispering filthy nothings in his ear while molesting him IN PUBLIC!!!!
“One day soon, I’m going to turn you over and fuck you over the table of our cottage. Fill you up with my cum; watch it drip out of you.”
Evocative and fluid writing style that drew me in and the imagery of Brussels and the surrounding area was very vivid. Makes me want to see it for myself.
Thanks to the author and their team for participating in the LOR event.
August 28, 2015
Uhm, so this was remarkably awful. I can't say that the issue was with the writing itself, it's rather well-written. However, the disjointed and implausible situations managed to simultaneously bore, annoy and unsettle me. Apparently, this was written by no less than three writers, who mentioned that they tried for "consensual and sweet with a hint of angst".
I'm so puzzled.
I'm all for unlikeable and troubled characters, and I don't require sugary endearments and cotton candy fluff in my stories. Despite the authors' aim, not much felt consensual and sweet about this story. In that regard, you'd think that this one would be right up my alley. It wasn't.
The idea was probably to make the MC (Dima) a cautious, socially inept and (here we go again!) 'broken' guy. He mostly struck me as uninteresting. I couldn't buy into the fact that Dima was approached by a handsome social butterfly in the club where he sat hidden in a dark corner thinking of himself as unpretty. Yes, perhaps their initial meeting was cleared up at the end of the story, everything else that transpired between them wasn't. I detected zero chemistry between the MCs, yet they embarked on an awkward and odd courtship (and not in a cute way either) with a little help from the obligatory matchmaking female sidekick.
Dima's love interest's 'jovial' attempts to engage his withdrawn, uncomfortable personality fell flat. Thankfully, taking Dima on a date to a flowery pasture (cue Twilight) worked miracles. Awed by all the flowers, Dima struck me as a little peculiar considering Dima's anxious personality and the fact that this was supposed to be a thrilling first date. Possibly the authors had no time to lose to convey how instantly comfortable Dima was around his new love, which therefore had to be true love.
What then left an unpleasant taste in my mouth was the sudden triggering twist that came out of the blue. I dislike when abuse is used as a cheap trick to add depth and emotion to a story, and I felt that here it was. The way Dima's sudden was then handled by his love interest irked me some more. I'm not looking for PC behavior or characters showcasing their therapeutic skills, but this was tacky, right? The coincidental appearance of an theme some more only added to my distaste. Finally, that final twist wasn't thought through plot-wise.
I'm so puzzled.
I'm all for unlikeable and troubled characters, and I don't require sugary endearments and cotton candy fluff in my stories. Despite the authors' aim, not much felt consensual and sweet about this story. In that regard, you'd think that this one would be right up my alley. It wasn't.
The idea was probably to make the MC (Dima) a cautious, socially inept and (here we go again!) 'broken' guy. He mostly struck me as uninteresting. I couldn't buy into the fact that Dima was approached by a handsome social butterfly in the club where he sat hidden in a dark corner thinking of himself as unpretty. Yes, perhaps their initial meeting was cleared up at the end of the story, everything else that transpired between them wasn't. I detected zero chemistry between the MCs, yet they embarked on an awkward and odd courtship (and not in a cute way either) with a little help from the obligatory matchmaking female sidekick.
Dima's love interest's 'jovial' attempts to engage his withdrawn, uncomfortable personality fell flat. Thankfully, taking Dima on a date to a flowery pasture (cue Twilight) worked miracles. Awed by all the flowers, Dima struck me as a little peculiar considering Dima's anxious personality and the fact that this was supposed to be a thrilling first date. Possibly the authors had no time to lose to convey how instantly comfortable Dima was around his new love, which therefore had to be true love.
What then left an unpleasant taste in my mouth was the sudden triggering twist that came out of the blue. I dislike when abuse is used as a cheap trick to add depth and emotion to a story, and I felt that here it was. The way Dima's sudden was then handled by his love interest irked me some more. I'm not looking for PC behavior or characters showcasing their therapeutic skills, but this was tacky, right? The coincidental appearance of an theme some more only added to my distaste. Finally, that final twist wasn't thought through plot-wise.
August 28, 2015
I'm rounding up on this as it's well written though I had some big squirmy niggles with the story!
The characters are interesting and mood comes across well; I was charmed by bluebell woods and a non-stray cat, though the twist was predictable. The story was perhaps too short for the running off towards a HEA but for a free event I'll take it.
My niggles were that such a damaged reserved character would share their past so quickly, followed by their next meeting where the kink seemed highly inappropriate - nothing said he liked exhibitionism and calling him 'a little whore' was a sudden leap in domination vibes that felt abusive rather than titillating in context.
Also the missing keycard - so how did he get into work that morning? Logic fail!
The characters are interesting and mood comes across well; I was charmed by bluebell woods and a non-stray cat, though the twist was predictable. The story was perhaps too short for the running off towards a HEA but for a free event I'll take it.
My niggles were that such a damaged reserved character would share their past so quickly, followed by their next meeting where the kink seemed highly inappropriate - nothing said he liked exhibitionism and calling him 'a little whore' was a sudden leap in domination vibes that felt abusive rather than titillating in context.
Also the missing keycard - so how did he get into work that morning? Logic fail!
August 29, 2015
At first I got distracted and in the end, annoyed that Mikhail's name wasn't shortened to Misha, it doesn't sound natural. *shrugs* Especially, since Dima was introduced and called all the time Dima, but that's a shortened name for Dmitri (or whatever spelling you want to use)
And that past abuse thing,
And that past abuse thing,
August 30, 2015
I loved the two MCs. The ending was perfect.
August 27, 2015
3.5 Stars
I'm quite impressed with what this author created when confronted with such a broad prompt. I liked the setting - post war Europe lends more of a bleak atmosphere but also the idea of new beginnings and hope.
Solitary Dima, haunted by a horrific past, matter of factly accepts his lonely existence. One night however, he's caught the eye of the too-good-to-be-true Mikhail, and he can barely trust in such a happenstance. Surely this is going to explode spectacularly in failure and disappointment right??
Though this did progress a bit too quickly, it still appealed greatly to my romantic side. This was also quite smexy, with a bit of dirty thrown in, and twisted my gut just so.
As always with these kinds of shorts, I want the 200 page version.
I'm quite impressed with what this author created when confronted with such a broad prompt. I liked the setting - post war Europe lends more of a bleak atmosphere but also the idea of new beginnings and hope.
Solitary Dima, haunted by a horrific past, matter of factly accepts his lonely existence. One night however, he's caught the eye of the too-good-to-be-true Mikhail, and he can barely trust in such a happenstance. Surely this is going to explode spectacularly in failure and disappointment right??
Though this did progress a bit too quickly, it still appealed greatly to my romantic side. This was also quite smexy, with a bit of dirty thrown in, and twisted my gut just so.
As always with these kinds of shorts, I want the 200 page version.
Read
September 20, 2015Thank you so much to the authors who have participated in this event
Nope. Nope. This didn't work for me at all. The scenes felt disjointed. The plot fuzzy. The characters never came to life. I found Mikhail creepy and Dima really bland. The sex felt mechanical and I was quickly turned off by the 'talks' during the sex. Bah!
Note:
Per my own policy, any story from this year's event that I can't give 3* rating to, will be left unrated
Nope. Nope. This didn't work for me at all. The scenes felt disjointed. The plot fuzzy. The characters never came to life. I found Mikhail creepy and Dima really bland. The sex felt mechanical and I was quickly turned off by the 'talks' during the sex. Bah!
Note:
Per my own policy, any story from this year's event that I can't give 3* rating to, will be left unrated
August 31, 2015
I think with these short stories you either see potential or you don’t. It’s hard to have a slam dunk in a mere 49 pages. What I liked about this story was Dima, he felt sad and tired. He was cautious and while reading you kind of understood why and then by the end you really understood why. The story was masterful in having you sympathize with him, usually I don’t like characters who are “oh no one wants me because I’m plain or average” but with Dima it felt less like a complaint and more like acceptance. It wasn’t a pity party, it was more like he’d been repetitively told something about himself so he accepted that it was who he was and had low expectations. I felt for him.
The other feeling which was probably done too well which is also why I think there was no element of surprise with how things turned out…the plot twist that wasn’t a twist, he was so cautious of being noticed especially by someone like Mikhail. Life is pretty much like that, regardless of the unfairness of it all, though it probably causes people to miss out on some great things, the truth is visually perfect people (as we are led to believe Mikhail is) don’t actively pursue (even after being blown off) guys like Dima. Dima was skeptical and so was I. Hence not being surprised when everything wasn’t as it appeared to be.
The end also had me raising an eyebrow. I mean if Mikhail could track Dima (who was an absolute idiot to not realize there was a tracking device…maybe he wanted to be found) then Dima should not feel safe at all. Couldn’t his government be tracking him too? Who doesn’t check their bag? Is he using his debit/credit card to purchase gas too and making calls via his government provided cell phone to make hotel reservations?
So yeah…overall…has potential.
The other feeling which was probably done too well which is also why I think there was no element of surprise with how things turned out…the plot twist that wasn’t a twist, he was so cautious of being noticed especially by someone like Mikhail. Life is pretty much like that, regardless of the unfairness of it all, though it probably causes people to miss out on some great things, the truth is visually perfect people (as we are led to believe Mikhail is) don’t actively pursue (even after being blown off) guys like Dima. Dima was skeptical and so was I. Hence not being surprised when everything wasn’t as it appeared to be.
The end also had me raising an eyebrow. I mean if Mikhail could track Dima (who was an absolute idiot to not realize there was a tracking device…maybe he wanted to be found) then Dima should not feel safe at all. Couldn’t his government be tracking him too? Who doesn’t check their bag? Is he using his debit/credit card to purchase gas too and making calls via his government provided cell phone to make hotel reservations?
So yeah…overall…has potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2015
*2.75 stars*
I struggled a little with this one. I feel a little torn because on one hand the writing is beautiful and evocative and the plotline intriguing, but on the other, for its short length there are quite a few inconsistencies, if I'm using the right word. And this was a little off-putting.
* In the club Mikhail's eyes were "crystall grey-blue". Later they became "pools of golden brown".
* Dima realises his card was not in his bag and assumes he left it at home. But it was just a little bit earlier that he swiped Mikhail and himself through. Even if he couldn't find it, didn't he wonder how he got in, in the first place? Doesn't make sense.
*Dima confesses a big secret to Mikhail, Dima even experiences a panick attack in front of him. And in the next scene Mikhail goes all dominant on him and there is some serious humiliation play and exhibitionism. I'm not saying Dima shouldn't have his kinks, but shouldn't they have discussed it first? It's not like they knew each other for a long time for Mikhail to take that liberty without talking about it first.
So, 2.75 stars rounded up, because despite all the above, I truly liked the writing.
Read
August 27, 2015Thanks for the story... quite different than I'd expected. Well-written and enjoyed the sweet bits along with the dark ones that I'd expected from this writing team. A little of everything in this one.
August 27, 2015
This was great. A simple plot but that's not a negative here. I loved how the two MCs connected.
August 27, 2015
This one just didn't work for me. Dima was a mess with no self confidence and Mikhail was terribly scarred yet both men were sharing their deepest secrets after a fuck. Way too much to fast for me.
August 29, 2015
I could have sworn there was originally a tag for this story. Either that or I'm psychic. I knew what was going to happen well before it did occur. Although, there were still plenty of hints with certain things being emphasized and repeated.
I liked the cat and the flowers. They were a nice touch.
The past abuse added an interesting depth. Knowing that background, I thought Mikhail was a bit too pushy and dominant when he later said to Dima "They’re watching you act like a little whore. You just take what I do to you."
I guess love is blind, but with Dima always putting himself down, I couldn't figure out what made him attractive to Mikhail.
One thing I wondered was why Dima thought he left his key at home if he had just used it to get in.
I liked the cat and the flowers. They were a nice touch.
The past abuse added an interesting depth. Knowing that background, I thought Mikhail was a bit too pushy and dominant when he later said to Dima "They’re watching you act like a little whore. You just take what I do to you."
I guess love is blind, but with Dima always putting himself down, I couldn't figure out what made him attractive to Mikhail.
One thing I wondered was why Dima thought he left his key at home if he had just used it to get in.
September 22, 2015
I was enjoying it...then it ended. Suddenly. All wrapped up in the space of 5 pages.
Want to Read
October 6, 2015
Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group's Love Is An Open Road event. Thank you too all the amazing authors who participated!
October 9, 2016
I was fortunate enough to be a proofreader for this book for LOR and I was thrilled. I don't always enjoy the books I am assigned to proofread there or in real life but this was delightful. When I was done, I looked to see who the authors were and found that one was a friend of mine. It was a double treat in one.
August 30, 2015
1.5 stars
The writing was fine, it just wasn't that interesting of a story. A lot happened in a small amount of pages. It wasn't long enough for me to be drawn to the characters and have an interest in what was happening around them. I didn't care about any of it and it wasn't that interesting.
The writing was fine, it just wasn't that interesting of a story. A lot happened in a small amount of pages. It wasn't long enough for me to be drawn to the characters and have an interest in what was happening around them. I didn't care about any of it and it wasn't that interesting.
September 6, 2015
Short, sweet, just a bit angsty. Our main characters have some heavy backstory and a heavier future but I loved this story!
November 29, 2015
Pretty good. Some of the wording was confusing. But I liked the premise.
September 5, 2023
Author info from the story: ‘Tripoli is a collaboration by three avid readers of male-male romance. Mild-mannered professionals by day, dub-con fiction enthusiasts by night, here they tried for consensual and sweet with a hint of angst.’
I like that bio! The story was good and held my interest. The sex was hot.
I like that bio! The story was good and held my interest. The sex was hot.
April 14, 2018
It started out well, but seemed like it ended all of a sudden.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews