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Accidentally His
Kirk Matheson rides the bus to work several times a week, intrigued by the attractive and quiet bespectacled man he typically sits behind. One day when the bus crashes during a storm, Kirk finally meets the shy stranger, Elijah Cartwright. Kirk stays with a seriously injured Elijah until the rescuers arrive.
After Elijah’s recovery, Kirk makes a date with Elijah. Though an unfortunate event brought them together, can they find their way to happiness?
After Elijah’s recovery, Kirk makes a date with Elijah. Though an unfortunate event brought them together, can they find their way to happiness?
51 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2011
4 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Shawn Lane
133 books309 followersShawn Lane writes erotic gay romances and believes love and passion know no boundaries. Happily Ever After is for everyone.
In the past she has written heterosexual romances (see her backlist) but is now concentrating on gay romances.
Shawn lives in California and holds down a boring day job in a legal department of a giant corporation dreaming of the nights and weekends when she can create new stories.
Shawn loves to hear from readers, is happy to answer any questions, and has been known to send free books to fans just because.
In the past she has written heterosexual romances (see her backlist) but is now concentrating on gay romances.
Shawn lives in California and holds down a boring day job in a legal department of a giant corporation dreaming of the nights and weekends when she can create new stories.
Shawn loves to hear from readers, is happy to answer any questions, and has been known to send free books to fans just because.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
August 8, 2013
3.5 Stars
Kirk Matheson is a personal assistant to an HR exec. In an effort to prolong the life of his older car, he rides the bus to work several times a week. Kirk has a crush on the nerdy bespectacled man who usually sits in front of him. Due to a terrible accident, Kirk finally gets to meet the shy stranger, Elijah Cartwright. Kirk stays with the injured Elijah until help arrives. After Elijah's recovery, the two make a date and romance soon ensues.
I liked this short story. I would have liked it a lot more if it were longer. I enjoyed both protagonists and would have loved to see their characters more fully developed. The story was sweet, angsty, and sexy. Just my cuppa!
Bottom-line: really liked it but wished it was longer.
Kirk Matheson is a personal assistant to an HR exec. In an effort to prolong the life of his older car, he rides the bus to work several times a week. Kirk has a crush on the nerdy bespectacled man who usually sits in front of him. Due to a terrible accident, Kirk finally gets to meet the shy stranger, Elijah Cartwright. Kirk stays with the injured Elijah until help arrives. After Elijah's recovery, the two make a date and romance soon ensues.
I liked this short story. I would have liked it a lot more if it were longer. I enjoyed both protagonists and would have loved to see their characters more fully developed. The story was sweet, angsty, and sexy. Just my cuppa!
Bottom-line: really liked it but wished it was longer.
May 28, 2011
It would have been 5 stars had at the end the author not made one of the MC a douche bag. Kirk said he had made a date with the other man before he had a date with Elijah. The problem with this explanation is that it was Kirk who called and asked Elijah out! And they had sex also because Kirk came on strongly. And now, Kirk claimed that he couldn't ditch the other man because he already made a date with him first? I doubt Kirk would end seeing the other guy if Elijah didn't happen to call him while he's on a date.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2012
I liked the story okay. I like how Elijah and Kirk met. But I did NOT like Kirk at all. He started out fine. He has a secret crush on Elijah, a fellow passenger on a bus. Elijah doesn't seem to notice Kirk at all. The bus is involved in a serious accident and Kirk helps Elijah. They both go in the hospital and there is a misunderstanding and Kirk believes that Elijah's injuries are worse than they actually are. He soon finds out otherwise.
All of that was good. Really good. At that point I really liked both characters. Elijah is shy, unassuming. A nerd, as Kirk describes him. Kirk is pretty straightforward but not enough to speak to Elijah on the bus until the accident. They finally get together after weeks of Kirk wanting Elijah. And what happens? Kirk turns into a jerk. They have sex and Kirk doesn't bother calling him in the days following. Elijah calls him only to find out that Kirk is on a date with another man. That pretty much blew it for me as far as Kirk is concerned. Kirk's excuse? He had made the date before he and Elijah hooked up or something but didn't bother to cancel it afterward. That killed it for me. And then sweet, unassuming... dying for someone to love him... Elijah accepts Kirk's lame excuse and all is well. That did not sit well with me.
I have read a few others by this author that I have liked fine.... one I actually loved. This one just did not work for me. I will not allow my opinion of this to keep me from reading the others in the series or others by this author. After seeing Toby in this one, I look forward to his story.
All of that was good. Really good. At that point I really liked both characters. Elijah is shy, unassuming. A nerd, as Kirk describes him. Kirk is pretty straightforward but not enough to speak to Elijah on the bus until the accident. They finally get together after weeks of Kirk wanting Elijah. And what happens? Kirk turns into a jerk. They have sex and Kirk doesn't bother calling him in the days following. Elijah calls him only to find out that Kirk is on a date with another man. That pretty much blew it for me as far as Kirk is concerned. Kirk's excuse? He had made the date before he and Elijah hooked up or something but didn't bother to cancel it afterward. That killed it for me. And then sweet, unassuming... dying for someone to love him... Elijah accepts Kirk's lame excuse and all is well. That did not sit well with me.
I have read a few others by this author that I have liked fine.... one I actually loved. This one just did not work for me. I will not allow my opinion of this to keep me from reading the others in the series or others by this author. After seeing Toby in this one, I look forward to his story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2013
This was an okay story but I found the dialogue (internal & actual) too stilted & unnatural...this managed to stop me relaxing into the story thus reducing my enjoyment. The story is pretty basic without anything special to recommend it & I found the smex too analytical & robotic for titilation ... reading this is an easy, uninspiring way to spend 10 minutes.
August 18, 2011
Very shallow read. Skimmed over the surface instead of really digging into the story. The accident, their injuries, and Elijah's insecurities could have supported a longer, more involved story.
May 9, 2016
Silly little thing to read while waiting in line.
April 15, 2011
This author often writes characters who are everyday guys. They aren’t independently wealthy playboys, nor homeless waifs, just normal guys making a living and that is the case here, and it allows me to connect with the characters in a way that can be difficult with those outside your plane of existence. Kirk and Elijah are just regular guys brought together by irregular circumstance. When their bus crashes in a rain storm, it’s finally the chance Kirk has to talk to the guy he refers to as “My Nerd”. He stays with Elijah until he’s rescued making that connection. He’s mistakenly told that Elijah died in the crash but when he discovers him alive makes a promise that they’ll go out soon.
Elijah is a nerd and has not had much luck with relationships. It doesn’t help that his brother is a famous actor and he’s been used a time or two to get closer to his brother. He really doesn’t expect Kirk to call but when he does he can’t quite believe his luck. Neither character is perfect, I found Elijah’s constant questioning of Kirk’s motives and his expectation of the worst at every turn to be a bit trying, however you still want him to get his man. Kirk comes across as a bit pushy and oblivious. He pushes Elijah quite a bit in the relationship and causes a small misunderstanding, not because he was necessarily meaning to be callous, I got the impression it just never occurred to him that the situation could be construed as questionable. But still, he was a nice guy with a good heart, and you could forgive him foibles.
I understand this may turn into a series of sorts as there were a couple of characters including Elijah’s bisexual actor brother and Kirk’s best friend who would make interesting stories. I’ll definitely follow-up on more stories as I find the author’s style very easy to read and you come away satisfied when it’s over.
Elijah is a nerd and has not had much luck with relationships. It doesn’t help that his brother is a famous actor and he’s been used a time or two to get closer to his brother. He really doesn’t expect Kirk to call but when he does he can’t quite believe his luck. Neither character is perfect, I found Elijah’s constant questioning of Kirk’s motives and his expectation of the worst at every turn to be a bit trying, however you still want him to get his man. Kirk comes across as a bit pushy and oblivious. He pushes Elijah quite a bit in the relationship and causes a small misunderstanding, not because he was necessarily meaning to be callous, I got the impression it just never occurred to him that the situation could be construed as questionable. But still, he was a nice guy with a good heart, and you could forgive him foibles.
I understand this may turn into a series of sorts as there were a couple of characters including Elijah’s bisexual actor brother and Kirk’s best friend who would make interesting stories. I’ll definitely follow-up on more stories as I find the author’s style very easy to read and you come away satisfied when it’s over.
Read
April 27, 2011Kirk Matheson and Elijah Cartwright are your everyday working stiffs – Kirk is the one who seems the aggressor of the two and from the start of the book he sums up his situation in life rather neatly I thought and goes on to gives a rather sweet description of Elijah, the guy who sits in front of him on the bus who he has had the eye on for a while now, he even goes as far as to label him my nerd – which just pushed this book into cute over load zone for me – I am so easy for stuff like that.
See rest of review HERE
April 18, 2011
This was a nice, short read about two men who have been watching each other on the bus for a while and bond when it has a big accident. The characters were likable enough, even though Kirk turned into a bit of an asshat at the end of the book , which seemed out of character for him since up until that moment he'd been so considerate. The ending was also a little rushed.
Read
January 24, 2023Ok short story. Interesting start with a bus accident and Elijah is a very cute nerd. However Kirk lost some of his lustre as the book when on with some of his actions - plus sometimes a phone call is nice
April 4, 2013
I reallt like these love stories with normal guys
October 14, 2020
Read in 2016 Anthology
February 27, 2011
Genre & keywords:
M/M, Romance, Contemporary, Bus accident, Recovery, Nerd as hero
Synopsis in short:
Kirk and Elijah ride the same bus to work a couple of times a week. When the bus crashes in a storm they both get injured, but it makes them to talk to each other for the first time. Their joint experience leads to a date and more.
Setting: I like the premise of an accident bringing two men together. It's inventive although perhaps not used to its full capacity by the author. The impact of what happened and their luck for surviving (as opposed to a few other passengers), could've been used for some more psychological conflict for one or both heroes. Now it was just something that helped them to finally talk and to get to know each other. No internal struggle or anything.
POV: We get both men's point of view, narrated in third person.
H/H & characterization: Elijah looks like a nerd and Kirk has the hots for him and always chooses to sit right behind him on the bus. Even though later on Kirk seems to be a very direct and open guy, he never dared to talk to Elijah before. Elijah is a really shy man, who thinks of himself as socially awkward. He has noticed Kirk but never even started to think about the possibility that Kirk might be interested in him. Although this is a sweet couple, they're a bit odd too. Their date and their first time in bed are on the awkward side, and I had a bit of a hard time feeling their connection or chemistry or whatever you want to call it. Nevertheless their pairing made me smile a lot and not only because it was all quite cute, but also because of the humorous moments they have going on.
Empathy level: These heroes didn't evoke a whole lot of emotions or feelings in me. Their relationship is only just blooming, they aren't actually passionately in love yet and their happy ending is really more of a HFN (Happy For Now) than a HEA ending. It was easiest to empathize with Elijah's insecurities about his love life, because of his past experiences with dates.
Heat level: The love scenes fell a bit flat for me, they were not much more than plain descriptions of the act, though sweet, hardly any feelings or emotions were shown which made these scenes lack some passion for me. 2 out of 3 flames
Angst level: This story is sort of angst free. There was a minor misunderstanding after the first date when Kirk didn't call back as promised, but their relationship was actually too new and young for deep feelings at that point. 0 out of 3 hankies
Overall entertainment level: For a short story (or Extended Amber Kiss as the publisher labels it) this has a good, entertaining plot, and it's featuring likable, sweet guys. It also seems to give a nice, tiny preview of the next book in the series (or so I'm guessing and hoping) which might be Elijah's famous brother and Kirk's friend's story (Lucas and Toby), who met in the hospital early on in the book. But even if this won't be a first in a series, I'd say it's a cute standalone story that I enjoyed reading.
Final judgment:
Great premise materializes into a cute story about a bit of an awkward couple that could use a little more passion. 3.5 out of 5 stars
~
http://www.rarelydustybooks.com/2011/...
M/M, Romance, Contemporary, Bus accident, Recovery, Nerd as hero
Synopsis in short:
Kirk and Elijah ride the same bus to work a couple of times a week. When the bus crashes in a storm they both get injured, but it makes them to talk to each other for the first time. Their joint experience leads to a date and more.
Setting: I like the premise of an accident bringing two men together. It's inventive although perhaps not used to its full capacity by the author. The impact of what happened and their luck for surviving (as opposed to a few other passengers), could've been used for some more psychological conflict for one or both heroes. Now it was just something that helped them to finally talk and to get to know each other. No internal struggle or anything.
POV: We get both men's point of view, narrated in third person.
H/H & characterization: Elijah looks like a nerd and Kirk has the hots for him and always chooses to sit right behind him on the bus. Even though later on Kirk seems to be a very direct and open guy, he never dared to talk to Elijah before. Elijah is a really shy man, who thinks of himself as socially awkward. He has noticed Kirk but never even started to think about the possibility that Kirk might be interested in him. Although this is a sweet couple, they're a bit odd too. Their date and their first time in bed are on the awkward side, and I had a bit of a hard time feeling their connection or chemistry or whatever you want to call it. Nevertheless their pairing made me smile a lot and not only because it was all quite cute, but also because of the humorous moments they have going on.
Empathy level: These heroes didn't evoke a whole lot of emotions or feelings in me. Their relationship is only just blooming, they aren't actually passionately in love yet and their happy ending is really more of a HFN (Happy For Now) than a HEA ending. It was easiest to empathize with Elijah's insecurities about his love life, because of his past experiences with dates.
Heat level: The love scenes fell a bit flat for me, they were not much more than plain descriptions of the act, though sweet, hardly any feelings or emotions were shown which made these scenes lack some passion for me. 2 out of 3 flames
Angst level: This story is sort of angst free. There was a minor misunderstanding after the first date when Kirk didn't call back as promised, but their relationship was actually too new and young for deep feelings at that point. 0 out of 3 hankies
Overall entertainment level: For a short story (or Extended Amber Kiss as the publisher labels it) this has a good, entertaining plot, and it's featuring likable, sweet guys. It also seems to give a nice, tiny preview of the next book in the series (or so I'm guessing and hoping) which might be Elijah's famous brother and Kirk's friend's story (Lucas and Toby), who met in the hospital early on in the book. But even if this won't be a first in a series, I'd say it's a cute standalone story that I enjoyed reading.
Final judgment:
Great premise materializes into a cute story about a bit of an awkward couple that could use a little more passion. 3.5 out of 5 stars
~
http://www.rarelydustybooks.com/2011/...
May 3, 2011
3.75
This novella starts out with Kirk riding the bus to work listening to his iPod. A typical boring work day, except for one thing, he gets to see the gorgeous man who sits in front of him. Kirk doesn’t know his name, only knows he is cute, geeky and seemingly unavailable. But suddenly the bus is involved in a horrible accident, and Kirk struggles to find his nerd through the chaos, finally finding him alive, but seriously hurt. The two men bond as they wait for help. When rescue comes and the two men are taken to the hospital, neither knowing each other’s fate. However when Kirk wakes up, he asks a nurse to find out how Elijah is and he receives bad news – Elijah died.
But now, of course you know the novella doesn’t end there. This is a romance not Romeo and Juliet. It seems the nurse was wrong and Elijah did not die and so when Kirk sees him alive, but with a broken leg, he isn’t going to let this opportunity pass him by so he immediately asks Elijah out and they make plans to date. Cue the second part of the book.
This is the first Shawn Lane book I’ve read and since I love the idea of second chances, the blurb appealed to me. Kirk and Elijah’s relationship seemed very normal, no shape shifters, angst, ghosts, infidelity issues, just a sweet little romance steeped in the real world. I liked the fact that Elijah was shy and hesitant in dating Kirk, having been burned before and that Kirk was a regular guy. (After their first date they have sex and Kirk waits a few days to call Elijah. This to me spelled typical man.)
The tension and drama was minimal, the only real problem between the two men is miscommunication when Kirk doesn’t call immediately after their tryst, but it is quickly resolved. You know, sometimes I just like a very uncomplicated love story in which guys are guys and dating is confusing and Accidentally His supplies that in spades. While I didn’t feel there was a lot of heat between Elijah and Kirk, rather than them being hot, hot, hot for one another, it was more of a subdued attraction, which worked for this short book.
The only niggle I had was the POV switches. The first two chapters were from Kirk’s POV, then chapter three we switch to Elijah, so sometimes it took me a moment to figure whose head I was in.
However what excites me the most is that June 12th there is a sequel to this novel called Becoming His. (Oh my that cover!) No, it won’t be about Elijah and Kirk, but about Kirk’s best friend Toby and Elijah’s superhot brother Lucas. Those two had one scene together in Accidentally His and it was scorching. I look forward to seeing what stripper Toby and actor Lucas get up to! As my first foray into reading a Shawn Lane book, it was positive. I would like to read more.
Reviews by Jessewave
This novella starts out with Kirk riding the bus to work listening to his iPod. A typical boring work day, except for one thing, he gets to see the gorgeous man who sits in front of him. Kirk doesn’t know his name, only knows he is cute, geeky and seemingly unavailable. But suddenly the bus is involved in a horrible accident, and Kirk struggles to find his nerd through the chaos, finally finding him alive, but seriously hurt. The two men bond as they wait for help. When rescue comes and the two men are taken to the hospital, neither knowing each other’s fate. However when Kirk wakes up, he asks a nurse to find out how Elijah is and he receives bad news – Elijah died.
But now, of course you know the novella doesn’t end there. This is a romance not Romeo and Juliet. It seems the nurse was wrong and Elijah did not die and so when Kirk sees him alive, but with a broken leg, he isn’t going to let this opportunity pass him by so he immediately asks Elijah out and they make plans to date. Cue the second part of the book.
This is the first Shawn Lane book I’ve read and since I love the idea of second chances, the blurb appealed to me. Kirk and Elijah’s relationship seemed very normal, no shape shifters, angst, ghosts, infidelity issues, just a sweet little romance steeped in the real world. I liked the fact that Elijah was shy and hesitant in dating Kirk, having been burned before and that Kirk was a regular guy. (After their first date they have sex and Kirk waits a few days to call Elijah. This to me spelled typical man.)
The tension and drama was minimal, the only real problem between the two men is miscommunication when Kirk doesn’t call immediately after their tryst, but it is quickly resolved. You know, sometimes I just like a very uncomplicated love story in which guys are guys and dating is confusing and Accidentally His supplies that in spades. While I didn’t feel there was a lot of heat between Elijah and Kirk, rather than them being hot, hot, hot for one another, it was more of a subdued attraction, which worked for this short book.
The only niggle I had was the POV switches. The first two chapters were from Kirk’s POV, then chapter three we switch to Elijah, so sometimes it took me a moment to figure whose head I was in.
However what excites me the most is that June 12th there is a sequel to this novel called Becoming His. (Oh my that cover!) No, it won’t be about Elijah and Kirk, but about Kirk’s best friend Toby and Elijah’s superhot brother Lucas. Those two had one scene together in Accidentally His and it was scorching. I look forward to seeing what stripper Toby and actor Lucas get up to! As my first foray into reading a Shawn Lane book, it was positive. I would like to read more.
Reviews by Jessewave
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2014
2.5 stars I didn't really like Kirk. You can't like someone for months, finally ask them out, take them to dinner, invite yourself into their apartment, tell them you've been watching them and interested in them for months, talk them into having sex, go to work with a promise to call, and NOT mention that you have a date set up for later that week. Yeah it was set up before you even knew you'd be going out with the person you've been watching on the bus, but you have to at least tell the guy about it, and in all reality, if you really liked the guy from the bus for months and you had a date and you got sex from him... then you should have cancelled the date with the random guy you met at some business thing a few weeks ago. And then when the guy that you "supposedly" really like calls, and you're on a date with someone else and he asks if it's a business dinner... you can't just gloss over it with a no and ask him out for the weekend. I don't trust Kirk at all, and I think Elijah was too quick in forgiving him. I know they didn't talk about being exclusive, but what Kirk did was really shady, and he knew it was shady, which is why he DIDN'T tell Elijah about it!
April 3, 2011
In Shawn Lane’s Accidentally His, the phrase meeting by accident is literal. Kirk Matheson travels to work by bus two to three times a week in an effort to stretch out the life of his car. Kirk has a crush on a nerdy fellow passenger, Elijah Cartwright, but it takes a Mustang slamming into the side of the bus to bring them together.
The relationship between Kirk and Elijah made for a pleasant enough read, but Accidentally His did not resonate with me as much as the author's other works. My main gripes would be that Kirk's character didn't seem nearly as well developed as Elijah's, and then there was the appearance of Harry. Harry was just plain creepy!
The relationship between Kirk and Elijah made for a pleasant enough read, but Accidentally His did not resonate with me as much as the author's other works. My main gripes would be that Kirk's character didn't seem nearly as well developed as Elijah's, and then there was the appearance of Harry. Harry was just plain creepy!
July 1, 2012
A sweet little story. Loved poor nerdy Elijah, Kirk was pretty sweet too.
Overall a sweet little read, for when you have some spare time.
Overall a sweet little read, for when you have some spare time.
August 5, 2015
This came close to being a one star but I finished it. And I liked Elijah. So I'm feeling generous. Very stilted dialogue that had me grumbling "people don't talk like this!" And this Kirk joker who seemed like a nice, sweet guy in the beginning turned into a pushy creep and I think the author meant for it to maybe be sexy? I dunno. It just made no sense. Seriously. The last half of the story Kirk turned into the guy that the main character usually dumps to get with the one he's MEANT to be with. Good grief. I'm getting kinda mad.
October 14, 2016
It was a little clumsy but it sort of fitted the relationship. I liked that they both were interested but if not for the crah they would probably never talk to each other. I even liked the misunderstanding because they were assuming too much and they needed to talk and clear the air. And they were really cute in their infatuations
April 2, 2016
This is a sweet quick paced story. Kirk has been crushing in his bus mate during the work commute. Elijah is clueless. But crashing into each other changes all that. Once they notice each other they realize it's time to get together. There are still a couple of bumps but the outlook for these too looks pretty good.
March 25, 2011
I liked this one OK...I really enjoyed the beginning and set up, and conflict with the accident, but I sortof thought a few things fell apart near the end. I always enjoy Shawn Lane's books and always look forward to what will be written next!
August 30, 2011
Ok story, ok characters, but I consistently seem to find this author's writing to be...flat? I'm not quite sure what the right word is, but somehow the writing style just doesn't quite do it for me.
January 13, 2012
Short romance between two guys who ride the same bus but don't talk until there is an accident and both are injured. Sweet story with two different characters - one sort of shy and insecure and awkward and the other pretty direct. Nice contrast of personalities.
April 5, 2012
Lovely story and very nice beginning to the series. Mostly light and sweet, although I didn't like the twist with Kirk's 'casual' date at the end. I get that it was done to create an angsty moment, but it rather out of the blue and well strange. Other than that I enjoyed the story.
July 4, 2011
Wavered between 3 and 4 stars. Cute romance with not much angst but not totally fluffy. I guess for now IRS a 3.5 star read
June 14, 2011
Elijah was cute and sweet but Kirk, such an unlikeable MC.
March 25, 2011
Good m/m romance about two guys who sort of meet after a bus accident during their commute.
June 6, 2011
3.5 stars
Slow and easy with little conflict, but overall, it was a cute, sweet read.
Slow and easy with little conflict, but overall, it was a cute, sweet read.
May 20, 2011
4.5 rounded down....LOVED the premise & how the story plays out from there.
November 9, 2017
Also part of the 2016 Top Ten Gay Romance Anthology.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews