Another Shot

by Riley Long

When

Ben discovers "the one who got away" working at a strip club, he decides to take a chance on letting Ian back into his life.

Ben has a decent life - a boyfriend, a good job, and a supportive best friend. He's shaken up when his boyfriend leaves him without warning and to make matters worse it's just before Ben's thirtieth birthday. His best friend takes him to a strip club to get his mind off the break-up. While they're there, they spot one of Ben's exes. The ex who Ben still has feelings for, but Ben had thought Ian had moved far away. It turns out Ian is still interested in Ben, and sorry for his mistakes. Can Ben let go of past hurt and give this relationship another shot?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, M M Romance, Second Chance, Gay, LGBT, Short Stories

ebook

First published October 18, 2015

About the author

Riley lives in central Virginia with her husband, son, and very silly dogs.

Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this short 53-page story about 'the one that got away' re-entering your life again, when and where you least expect it.

Ben's boring boyfriend of 6 months breaks up with him for being "too wild" (he's not) on the eve of Ben's 30th birthday, leaving him in a funk, so his BFF, Sarah, takes him to a 'Magic Mike' type of male strip club to cheer him up.



Anywhooo, the last act of the evening was a cowboy named 'Lance'; however, Lance isn't just a stripper. He's also Ben's ex-boyfriend, Ian.



The story of them reconnecting, explaining why their 2-year relationship ended, then Ben deciding to give Ian another chance was a lot of fun.

There were humorous bits, pretty hot, sexy bits and touching bits, all of which were a lot of fun to read.

(Especially the sexy bits.) ;- )



Yes, I know that the story is only 53 pages, but a one page epilogue to cement their HEA would've been the cherry on the top for this entertaining little tale of a second bite at the apple. Just sayin'.

4 *let-them-eat-cake* stars this time around, but the initial $2.99 release price may be a bit steep for only 53 pages.

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"Male Revue" Mini-Rant:


I found the male strip club scenario a little unrealistic, because, at least in my own (extensive) experience in the US, Canada *and* Mexico, those types of female-centric 'male revue' strip clubs, like the book describes, NEVER allow men in. Ever. Fucking bastards.



A gay male presence would evidently make the hetero 'dick dancers' way too nervous and could be a possible distraction for all of the (many, many MANY) bachelorette party-attending women. *sigh*



Sorry, but if there are feathered boas at a male 'strip club', then chances are that you're *not* at a true gay male strip club.

Those can be some hot, dirty, wicked fun. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here. ;- )

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My ARC copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

[Ele · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

This was a lot of fun! I love second chance stories, and this shortie is a pretty good choice if you 're in between books and need a palate cleanser.

Ben just broke up with his boyfriend and he's miserable. But tomorrow is his birthday, and he lets himself get dragged to a strip club by his friend, Sarah. The last person he expects to find there, is his ex boyfriend, Ian. Oh wait, not Ian. It's Lance, the cowboy stripper!!!



Ben and Ian broke up five years ago. I enjoyed their reconnection a lot. Ian is actually the one that got away and Ben never managed to get over him completely. But now Ian asks for a second chance, and although Ben is afraid he's going to get hurt again, he can't say no. But I liked that he's no doormat and he accepts in certain conditions. And Ian on the other hand, is straightforward, which was refreshing.

I also loved the way Ian felt about his profession. He used to be an accountant but he likes his new job way more. No shame, no guilt, no nothing.



I admit that I didn't fully buy Ian's explainations for what happened with Ben in the past, or that he's completely sincere about his feelings. I don't know why, but I got the feeling that Ben was way more into Ian than Ian into Ben.

There are enough smexy times and the story ends with a tentative HFN. Overall, a quick, easy and sexy read.

*Review cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews.*

[Frances Hamburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

It was a good story. Not much action went on or was involved but there was plenty of drama. Wow!

[peach · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. An alright short story about a second-chance romance. Unfortunately it failed to hit the right emotional beats for me.

[Golden Child · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben & Ian: Exes that find each other again, this time at the right point in their lives. It’s up to Ben to give the green light and give Ian another chance. Great little novella.

[Queue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story was a pleasant surprise. Well-written with interesting characters and a neat plot that works for the length.

Ben is devastated when his boyfriend leaves him just before his 30th birthday. He’d thought everything was going on fine, but really the relationship wasn’t working. His best friend takes him to a strip club to get his mind off the break-up and Ben is shocked when he recognizes a stripper. Ian is an ex of Ben’s from years ago and it turns out Ian still has feelings for Ben.

I enjoyed reading about Ben and Ian getting their second chance at love. Personally, I usually avoid reuniting with exes because there was a reason why the relationship ended, however, here it works. Ian knows he made a mistake when he left years before and still wants Ben.

Ben and Ian were very cute together and the sex was smoking hot. The ending worked perfectly with a hope for the future.