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Starting Over
After a killer shift at work, all Eddie wants is a quick meal before heading home to shower and fall into bed. Then he meets Nate at a late-night diner. Eddie’s self-confidence is gone along with his ex-boyfriend, and the last thing he’s looking for is a one-night stand – especially not with a married man. But Nate doesn’t just have sex with Eddie, he makes love to him—and even after Eddie lets Nate walk away, he can’t go back to his old, empty life.
27 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 6, 2013
Now the first 75% of the book was great! Sweet and sexy and realistic. I really enjoyed every minute. Then they got to the two MCs working out their feeling for one another. I shit you not.
What a waste. It coulda been a contender...
What a waste. It coulda been a contender...
June 15, 2013
Really an enjoyable story.
March 12, 2013
Some people may have been shocked by the ending. I was not. Something in my gut told me from the beginning, I was so glad I was right. I loved this short story.
February 21, 2019
Dropping the I love you after that short interaction and distance felt too much but the story was one that I enjoyed. Loved the main character and how he was able to get started living his life again. That felt really nice to read.
April 14, 2018
3.5 stars
March 8, 2011
Genre & keywords:
M/M, Romance, Contemporary, Short story, One night stand, Marriage of convenience, New beginnings
Synopsis in short:
Eddie meets Nate in a diner and they feel instantly attracted. They spend the night together but they know that's all there'll be, because Nate is married. The fantastic night and Nate's departing remark make Eddie see that he wasn't really living anymore after his ex Gill had left him. So he decides to change his life and starts living again.
POV: The story is told in first person and solely from Eddie's point of view.
H/H & characterization: It's only a short story, about 34 pdf pages, and therefore there's not much room to really get to know the protags. Because of the choice of perspective Eddie is the one we learn most about. We get his back-story about his former relationship with Gill and we follow him when he starts changing his life. He's a hard working, nice guy who has low self-esteem thanks to his pompous former lover. Due to the limited amount of pages that the two heroes actually share on page together, we don't see very much of Nate at all, and the fact that he wears a wedding ring adds to the confusion. He seems a considerate, nice and tender man though, but that's only based on how he acts in bed during the one night stand and the morning after.
Empathy level: Nate's thoughts and feelings stay unknown until the very end. That and his wedding ring make it not easy to relate with him. Eddie is easier to like and understand because we follow him from beginning to end. However the period after the one night stand, when he starts to make changes in his life, is told about in a recap style, which leaves little room to empathize with him all the time either. But when he deals with his ex Gill the way he does, I whole-heartedly cheered for him.
Heat level: There are basically only two extensive sex scenes, at the beginning and at the end of the story. In between, months pass in which Eddie and Nate hardly see each other. The hot get-togethers are detailed and written with emotion. 2 out of 3 flames
Angst level: It was clear from the beginning that there could never be more than that one night between Nate and Eddie. So, Eddie didn't hang on to his feelings for Nate too long. So, not much angst there, just a little sadness. Instead the unrequited feelings turned out to be a fresh and nice way to let Eddie find his new happiness, instead of letting him be ruled by his feelings of regret. This was a concept I rather enjoyed. 0.5 out of 3 hankies
Overall entertainment level: Given the limited on page time Nate and Eddie spend together, the one-sided point of view and the short length of this story, it's difficult to establish a satisfying insight in both characters' feelings and emotions. Therefore the love declarations felt a bit rushed. I admit that the insta-love is not often my favorite, especially not when I can feel the potential a story has in the emotional department, would it have been given more pages. This author's writing style and way of structuring a story are pleasant and skilful but in this form they lack tension and emotional depth. All in all, I enjoyed this story because of the sympathetic heroes, the fresh concept of starting over and the well-written, smexy scenes, but it didn't completely satisfy me in the relationship development and HEA department.
Final judgment:
Hardworking, lovable hero finds his life back after a hot one night stand with an equally hardworking and lovable cutie, who could've used a bit more on-screen time to make the HEA more convincing. Theirs is an enjoyable, sexy, but also a bit rushed story about finding yourself back.
3.5 out of 5 stars
~
http://www.rarelydustybooks.com/2011/...
M/M, Romance, Contemporary, Short story, One night stand, Marriage of convenience, New beginnings
Synopsis in short:
Eddie meets Nate in a diner and they feel instantly attracted. They spend the night together but they know that's all there'll be, because Nate is married. The fantastic night and Nate's departing remark make Eddie see that he wasn't really living anymore after his ex Gill had left him. So he decides to change his life and starts living again.
POV: The story is told in first person and solely from Eddie's point of view.
H/H & characterization: It's only a short story, about 34 pdf pages, and therefore there's not much room to really get to know the protags. Because of the choice of perspective Eddie is the one we learn most about. We get his back-story about his former relationship with Gill and we follow him when he starts changing his life. He's a hard working, nice guy who has low self-esteem thanks to his pompous former lover. Due to the limited amount of pages that the two heroes actually share on page together, we don't see very much of Nate at all, and the fact that he wears a wedding ring adds to the confusion. He seems a considerate, nice and tender man though, but that's only based on how he acts in bed during the one night stand and the morning after.
Empathy level: Nate's thoughts and feelings stay unknown until the very end. That and his wedding ring make it not easy to relate with him. Eddie is easier to like and understand because we follow him from beginning to end. However the period after the one night stand, when he starts to make changes in his life, is told about in a recap style, which leaves little room to empathize with him all the time either. But when he deals with his ex Gill the way he does, I whole-heartedly cheered for him.
Heat level: There are basically only two extensive sex scenes, at the beginning and at the end of the story. In between, months pass in which Eddie and Nate hardly see each other. The hot get-togethers are detailed and written with emotion. 2 out of 3 flames
Angst level: It was clear from the beginning that there could never be more than that one night between Nate and Eddie. So, Eddie didn't hang on to his feelings for Nate too long. So, not much angst there, just a little sadness. Instead the unrequited feelings turned out to be a fresh and nice way to let Eddie find his new happiness, instead of letting him be ruled by his feelings of regret. This was a concept I rather enjoyed. 0.5 out of 3 hankies
Overall entertainment level: Given the limited on page time Nate and Eddie spend together, the one-sided point of view and the short length of this story, it's difficult to establish a satisfying insight in both characters' feelings and emotions. Therefore the love declarations felt a bit rushed. I admit that the insta-love is not often my favorite, especially not when I can feel the potential a story has in the emotional department, would it have been given more pages. This author's writing style and way of structuring a story are pleasant and skilful but in this form they lack tension and emotional depth. All in all, I enjoyed this story because of the sympathetic heroes, the fresh concept of starting over and the well-written, smexy scenes, but it didn't completely satisfy me in the relationship development and HEA department.
Final judgment:
Hardworking, lovable hero finds his life back after a hot one night stand with an equally hardworking and lovable cutie, who could've used a bit more on-screen time to make the HEA more convincing. Theirs is an enjoyable, sexy, but also a bit rushed story about finding yourself back.
3.5 out of 5 stars
~
http://www.rarelydustybooks.com/2011/...
October 8, 2011
make that 4.5 stars
OK, what worked for me: The MCs, Eddie and Nate, were nicely characterized. I felt like I could get to know them and be friendly with them (which is always a plus). I like that Eddie was able to grow believably on-screen (as it were) without it taking up a lot of space, although there's a part of me that wishes he'd had more space, while acknowledging that would have taken away from the main romance.
And, OMG, when Eddie finally got to tell his ex off for being a prick? I loved it! It was perfect! Snarky, and mean, but not so mean as to make you feel less sympathy for Eddie. Very "just telling it like it is, man!"
I love that there's just enough place description to give a feel for the setting, without being so detailed it borders on infodump. More detail might be appropriate for a longer story, but in that case it can be dribbled out, which isn't the case here. Ethan's really good at painting a picture with just a couple of bold, well-placed sentences, using minimal details to evoke the feel of a place without weighing down the narrative. (Which I might be doing here, but I'm ok with that.)
Things that were...well, not so great: Nate was cheating. Which, if you read my spoiler-y bit above, he really kind of wasn't, but still kind of was. That's tough ground to tread, emotionally. But it was pulled off well.
The pool table scene: Just wasn't as hot as I could've hoped -- think it's one that would be improved by more screen time. I don't play, but I enjoy the by-play, and I think pool tends to be more of a long tease when it's used as foreplay. So that was fun, but not AS fun as I think it maybe could have been.
Overall, an excellent way to spend a few minutes, and the perfect length to read while waiting for my bread to rise!
OK, what worked for me: The MCs, Eddie and Nate, were nicely characterized. I felt like I could get to know them and be friendly with them (which is always a plus). I like that Eddie was able to grow believably on-screen (as it were) without it taking up a lot of space, although there's a part of me that wishes he'd had more space, while acknowledging that would have taken away from the main romance.
And, OMG, when Eddie finally got to tell his ex off for being a prick? I loved it! It was perfect! Snarky, and mean, but not so mean as to make you feel less sympathy for Eddie. Very "just telling it like it is, man!"
I love that there's just enough place description to give a feel for the setting, without being so detailed it borders on infodump. More detail might be appropriate for a longer story, but in that case it can be dribbled out, which isn't the case here. Ethan's really good at painting a picture with just a couple of bold, well-placed sentences, using minimal details to evoke the feel of a place without weighing down the narrative. (Which I might be doing here, but I'm ok with that.)
Things that were...well, not so great: Nate was cheating. Which, if you read my spoiler-y bit above, he really kind of wasn't, but still kind of was. That's tough ground to tread, emotionally. But it was pulled off well.
The pool table scene: Just wasn't as hot as I could've hoped -- think it's one that would be improved by more screen time. I don't play, but I enjoy the by-play, and I think pool tends to be more of a long tease when it's used as foreplay. So that was fun, but not AS fun as I think it maybe could have been.
Overall, an excellent way to spend a few minutes, and the perfect length to read while waiting for my bread to rise!
April 4, 2011
Where have you been all my life? And why are you walking away?
These questions have been right at the front of Eddie's mind for so long. He meets guys he likes and is either used or left for another. Not the most exciting experience. But the more I read about him, the more I really loved him. This story imprinted itself on my heart and hasn't let go.
Ethan Stone has penned a story of love, hope, and redemption. The words flowed well, drawing me in right from the first paragraph. I felt like I was right there with Nate and Eddie. In fact, I went back and read the story a couple more times just to relive it.
Eddie's an easy character to relate to. He's damaged by his experiences in life but I didn't feel sorry for him. I respected his struggle. When he met up with Nate, I was thrilled. The coupling of the two men sizzled right off the page. But more than just heat, there's a healthy dose of heart. There's a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming and I'm glad. The story became so much richer. I didn't want it to end.
If you want a short little story that will stick with you long after the last page, then you need to read Starting Over. I'm glad I did.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
These questions have been right at the front of Eddie's mind for so long. He meets guys he likes and is either used or left for another. Not the most exciting experience. But the more I read about him, the more I really loved him. This story imprinted itself on my heart and hasn't let go.
Ethan Stone has penned a story of love, hope, and redemption. The words flowed well, drawing me in right from the first paragraph. I felt like I was right there with Nate and Eddie. In fact, I went back and read the story a couple more times just to relive it.
Eddie's an easy character to relate to. He's damaged by his experiences in life but I didn't feel sorry for him. I respected his struggle. When he met up with Nate, I was thrilled. The coupling of the two men sizzled right off the page. But more than just heat, there's a healthy dose of heart. There's a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming and I'm glad. The story became so much richer. I didn't want it to end.
If you want a short little story that will stick with you long after the last page, then you need to read Starting Over. I'm glad I did.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
March 27, 2011
3.5 I really hate cheaters, and Nate is definitely a cheater (on his wife). He has such a connection with Eddie, and he is upfront about their night together being a one night stand. Eddie, who was in an emotionally abusive relationship with Gil and so feels he deserves nothing, is actually brought out of his shell by the caring and tenderness of Nate. They are really only together twice, with the middle being more a story of Eddie coming back to life, which I did love. Seeing Gil again? Go, Eddie, and you tell him. The explanation of Nate's "complicated" marriage was a plausible one, yet still kind of threw me off a bit.
March 29, 2012
3.5*
Sweet story, loved Eddie giving his ex a piece of his mind!
All in all a nice story, Eddie realizing his worth and getting his HEA!
Sweet story, loved Eddie giving his ex a piece of his mind!
All in all a nice story, Eddie realizing his worth and getting his HEA!
August 31, 2011
This was a sweet short of two men who accidentally find each other but aren't immediately ready or available. They had one night together to discover what they each needed and then had to figure out how to get along without it come morning. In the end, it took time and some creative maneuvering. =)
March 18, 2016
So sweet
Even though it wasn't long; this story was so sweet and poignant. For a short story, it was able to convey a lot of emotional depth and anguish. Even though you didn't know a lot about MCs; you knew knew enough to care about their HEA.
Even though it wasn't long; this story was so sweet and poignant. For a short story, it was able to convey a lot of emotional depth and anguish. Even though you didn't know a lot about MCs; you knew knew enough to care about their HEA.
June 3, 2011
really really like this short story. Would love to read more about Eddie and Nate.
December 28, 2015
Beautiful, romantic, melancholic and involving. Loved it
March 11, 2016
I enjoyed this as it was a quick easy in between read.
May 26, 2016
3.5 Stars
March 9, 2011
3.75 stars. A second chance at the one that got away.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews