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Clean Slate
Wes Green keeps everyone at arm’s length, either by pushing buttons or simply pushing them away. When that doesn’t work, Wes runs, as far and as fast as he can. This time, bolting from his boyfriend also costs him his professional organizing job. His last resort is to retreat to his brother’s basement and try to pick up the pieces. The only bright spot in his new life is his niece, Kelsey.
One day, while in Kelsey’s school drop-off line, he meets Sam Montgomery, the father of Maya, Kelsey’s best friend. When Wes finds out Sam is gay and interested in some no-strings-attached fun, Wes thinks he’s hit the jackpot. With boundaries firmly in place, keeping Sam at a distance should be easy.
What starts out simple quickly gets complicated when fun turns to feelings between Wes and Sam. But the baggage both men carry threatens to stop things before they start. Can Wes stay put long enough to find real love, or will old habits be too hard to break?
One day, while in Kelsey’s school drop-off line, he meets Sam Montgomery, the father of Maya, Kelsey’s best friend. When Wes finds out Sam is gay and interested in some no-strings-attached fun, Wes thinks he’s hit the jackpot. With boundaries firmly in place, keeping Sam at a distance should be easy.
What starts out simple quickly gets complicated when fun turns to feelings between Wes and Sam. But the baggage both men carry threatens to stop things before they start. Can Wes stay put long enough to find real love, or will old habits be too hard to break?
- GenresM M Romance
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2017
About the author
Heidi Champa
91 books39 followersHeidi Champa is a typical last-born child. Snarky, attention-seeking and rebellious, she started to create dirty stories to keep herself out of real trouble. Having tried her hand at a million terrible jobs, she bought herself a laptop and finally started typing up those handwritten tales. After much deliberation, she started to let other people read her work.
In addition to her flare with the written word, she knows every sentence of the movie Clue by heart and bakes a mean Funny Cake. She loves Aussie Rules Football (Go The Cats!!), dancing to bad music and laughing too loud in public. A natural born klutz, she has been known to fall for no reason at all and always has a bruise somewhere on her body. Her life has taken her all over the world, but a piece of her heart will always be in Australia. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband.
She has been published in numerous anthologies including Best Women’s Erotica 2010, Best of Best Women's Erotica 2, Playing With Fire, Frenzy, College Boys, Like Magnets We Attract, Skater Boys and Ultimate Curves. Her first novella, White Out, was published by Amber Allure in August 2010 and her second, All Expenses Paid, was released in June. She has also steamed up the pages of Bust Magazine. If you prefer your erotica in electronic form, she can be found at Clean Sheets, Torquere Press, Ravenous Romance, Oysters and Chocolate, Dreamspinner Press, and The Erotic Woman.
In addition to her flare with the written word, she knows every sentence of the movie Clue by heart and bakes a mean Funny Cake. She loves Aussie Rules Football (Go The Cats!!), dancing to bad music and laughing too loud in public. A natural born klutz, she has been known to fall for no reason at all and always has a bruise somewhere on her body. Her life has taken her all over the world, but a piece of her heart will always be in Australia. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband.
She has been published in numerous anthologies including Best Women’s Erotica 2010, Best of Best Women's Erotica 2, Playing With Fire, Frenzy, College Boys, Like Magnets We Attract, Skater Boys and Ultimate Curves. Her first novella, White Out, was published by Amber Allure in August 2010 and her second, All Expenses Paid, was released in June. She has also steamed up the pages of Bust Magazine. If you prefer your erotica in electronic form, she can be found at Clean Sheets, Torquere Press, Ravenous Romance, Oysters and Chocolate, Dreamspinner Press, and The Erotic Woman.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 19, 2017
*2,5 stars*
This started well, and promising. I liked the writing style.
I think this is my first book of this author, blame my lacking of memory.
Wes is a sad person, seriously. He didn't know what to do with his life after one accident in the past.
He didn't believe that his relationship with Nick will last forever, despite of how Nick treated him (actually, Nick had the reason to get mad after all). Wes ran away.
And he met Sam
Real story started here, with Sam and his so called 'relationship' with him.
Wes is bitter, low self esteem and he let people do whatever they wants to him. Aka, doormat.
Damn, I should have been liked him, and Sam as the MCs.
But even Sam, I can't like very much. He treated Wes like a ... doormat!
Not that he cheated on him or whatever (there's no cheating in this book, thankfully), but I couldn't agree with how Sam treated Wes. And Wes just go with it?
I was kinda glad when Wes decided to leave the town, but no....he didn't really make it.
Instead, he's back. Weak MC is not my cup of tea.
I enjoyed this story after forty percent mark, but it was went downhill from there.
Glad I can finally finished the book. Not really my forte, this one is a so so.
* I received the ARC in exchange of a fair and unbiased review. No high rating required upon the ARC received.*
This started well, and promising. I liked the writing style.
I think this is my first book of this author, blame my lacking of memory.
Wes is a sad person, seriously. He didn't know what to do with his life after one accident in the past.
He didn't believe that his relationship with Nick will last forever, despite of how Nick treated him (actually, Nick had the reason to get mad after all). Wes ran away.
And he met Sam
Real story started here, with Sam and his so called 'relationship' with him.
Wes is bitter, low self esteem and he let people do whatever they wants to him. Aka, doormat.
Damn, I should have been liked him, and Sam as the MCs.
But even Sam, I can't like very much. He treated Wes like a ... doormat!
Not that he cheated on him or whatever (there's no cheating in this book, thankfully), but I couldn't agree with how Sam treated Wes. And Wes just go with it?
I was kinda glad when Wes decided to leave the town, but no....he didn't really make it.
Instead, he's back. Weak MC is not my cup of tea.
I enjoyed this story after forty percent mark, but it was went downhill from there.
Glad I can finally finished the book. Not really my forte, this one is a so so.
* I received the ARC in exchange of a fair and unbiased review. No high rating required upon the ARC received.*
February 14, 2017
~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads Review Team~
3 1/2 stars
This book was just ok for me, the story had potential, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I wanted to fall in love with Wes and Sam and I just couldn’t. I liked them, I even shed a tear towards the end, I just didn’t connect like I wanted to. I did like the secondary characters, I think they helped the story and my ability to stick thru it and finish the book.
Characters: couldn’t connect with them
Sex: yes
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: not sure
Genre: M/M Romance
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
3 1/2 stars
This book was just ok for me, the story had potential, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I wanted to fall in love with Wes and Sam and I just couldn’t. I liked them, I even shed a tear towards the end, I just didn’t connect like I wanted to. I did like the secondary characters, I think they helped the story and my ability to stick thru it and finish the book.
Characters: couldn’t connect with them
Sex: yes
Religious: no
Would I recommend to others: yes
More than one book in the series: not sure
Genre: M/M Romance
Would I read more by this author: yes
~Wicked Reads Review Team~
February 5, 2017
This was a good read about learning to forgive ones self about things that are out of your control and about things that you messed up on in the past.
Wes is carrying the baggage of his sister dying and him being the one that was driving rule his life. He never got over the grief of losing his sister and has let it manifest in to him pushing anyone and everyone that gets close to him away. Or he runs the first chance that he gets.
When he leaves his current boyfriend he runs right to his brothers house for sanctuary. The last thing he ever expected is to find the man that was going to eventually make him feel like he may not need to run anymore and that he is willing to take a chance on.
When Sam and Wes start seeing each other it is under the guise of friends with benefits only but what they have between them soon becomes clear that it is so much more then that.
Everything seems to be coming together for both of the men until Mya, Sam's daughter, and Kelsey, Wes's niece, lie and say that they found the joint that they was busted with in Wes's stuff. Immediately everyone believed the worst of Wes and turned their backs on him including Sam.
When the truth comes out about where it came from the damage is done and Wes has decided that it is once again time for a new start but this time away from his family also. Sam wants Wes to give him a second chance and the benefit of trying to make up for all the hurtful things that he said to Wes but Wes is not receptive to it. Will Sam be able to convince Wes to give him a second chance or is things well and truly over Between them?
This was a good read about learning to trust. About learning to forgive. About learnignto let others into their heart. It really upset me how it seemed everyone turned on Wes so easily and believed the worst of him. I really felt sorry for him and I hurt for him. It was nice to see when everyone realized how badly they messed up that they tried to make it up to Wes but I still felt that they was all harsh on him especially since it was obvious that Wes was really changing.
Other then that I can say this was a really good read.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
Wes is carrying the baggage of his sister dying and him being the one that was driving rule his life. He never got over the grief of losing his sister and has let it manifest in to him pushing anyone and everyone that gets close to him away. Or he runs the first chance that he gets.
When he leaves his current boyfriend he runs right to his brothers house for sanctuary. The last thing he ever expected is to find the man that was going to eventually make him feel like he may not need to run anymore and that he is willing to take a chance on.
When Sam and Wes start seeing each other it is under the guise of friends with benefits only but what they have between them soon becomes clear that it is so much more then that.
Everything seems to be coming together for both of the men until Mya, Sam's daughter, and Kelsey, Wes's niece, lie and say that they found the joint that they was busted with in Wes's stuff. Immediately everyone believed the worst of Wes and turned their backs on him including Sam.
When the truth comes out about where it came from the damage is done and Wes has decided that it is once again time for a new start but this time away from his family also. Sam wants Wes to give him a second chance and the benefit of trying to make up for all the hurtful things that he said to Wes but Wes is not receptive to it. Will Sam be able to convince Wes to give him a second chance or is things well and truly over Between them?
This was a good read about learning to trust. About learning to forgive. About learnignto let others into their heart. It really upset me how it seemed everyone turned on Wes so easily and believed the worst of him. I really felt sorry for him and I hurt for him. It was nice to see when everyone realized how badly they messed up that they tried to make it up to Wes but I still felt that they was all harsh on him especially since it was obvious that Wes was really changing.
Other then that I can say this was a really good read.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
February 4, 2017
As seems to be my theme for this first month of 2017, Heidi Champa is a new to me author and I really enjoyed our first meeting: Clean Slate. The story opens with Wes plotting his escape from an unfulfilling relationship. There’s nothing “wrong” except that 1) they live together and 2) the boyfriend has (understandable) expectations of what that means. Only, BF just doesn’t get Wes. Who doesn’t do relationships. And isn’t going to change. No matter how many times BF tells him to just grow up already. IMHO, they are both complicit in the outcome and I had no sympathy for (now ex) BF at all.
Now Wes is stuck in suburbia and living in his brother’s basement. He believes he’s a screw up and the brother (and family) let that cloud linger in the whole “yes, you can stay this time, but when will you grow up already” tune that BF was singing, just in softer notes. To earn his keep, he’s does what he does best: organizes other people’s lives while his own remains in shambles. He helps around the house, carts his niece off to school and it’s on one such trip that he meets Sam, the father of Kelsey’s best friend Maya.
Mutual attraction + Wes’s reluctance to commit + Sam’s reluctance to have a real relationship because he doesn’t want to disrupt Maya’s life = perfect no strings attached arrangement. Or not.
Feelings crop up on both sides, but no one believes Wes can change. Not Wes. Not his family. Not Sam. In fact, when Sam starts to think he can do a relationship, he asks Wes for advice on how to date other men. And Wes gives it. I won’t call this cheating because they are both under the impression that the other isn’t interested in more and Sam doesn’t have sex with the guy, but it was that WTF moment that had me wanting to shake both men.
Still, there was some hope that they’d get it right until Kelsey and Maya get caught experimenting with drugs and the cool uncle becomes the scapegoat. Everyone’s treatment of Wes from that point on only solidified his own feelings about himself, and this is where it hit its first snag for me.
I really wanted one person (namely Sam) to stand up for Wes. By that point, everyone knew why Wes felt the way he did about himself, yet no one showed any real understanding. Instead, they accepted the accusation the girls made as something that was inevitable. Forgiving them and Sam was a huge journey for Wes, though I wish he made them work just a little harder for it.
The book ends a lot like it begins. With Wes eyeing the door, though he’s trying harder this time and this is where the second snag happened for me. While Wes shows tremendous growth, there is literally no relationship building between Wes and Maya. Sam’s whole reluctance to date was his concern for his daughter and as someone who was a single parent for many years, I needed to see that to believe they were at the point where the book ended.
Overall, solid writing, a character to root for, and a relationship that I want to believe will only get better.
I was given an ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review
Now Wes is stuck in suburbia and living in his brother’s basement. He believes he’s a screw up and the brother (and family) let that cloud linger in the whole “yes, you can stay this time, but when will you grow up already” tune that BF was singing, just in softer notes. To earn his keep, he’s does what he does best: organizes other people’s lives while his own remains in shambles. He helps around the house, carts his niece off to school and it’s on one such trip that he meets Sam, the father of Kelsey’s best friend Maya.
Mutual attraction + Wes’s reluctance to commit + Sam’s reluctance to have a real relationship because he doesn’t want to disrupt Maya’s life = perfect no strings attached arrangement. Or not.
Feelings crop up on both sides, but no one believes Wes can change. Not Wes. Not his family. Not Sam. In fact, when Sam starts to think he can do a relationship, he asks Wes for advice on how to date other men. And Wes gives it. I won’t call this cheating because they are both under the impression that the other isn’t interested in more and Sam doesn’t have sex with the guy, but it was that WTF moment that had me wanting to shake both men.
Still, there was some hope that they’d get it right until Kelsey and Maya get caught experimenting with drugs and the cool uncle becomes the scapegoat. Everyone’s treatment of Wes from that point on only solidified his own feelings about himself, and this is where it hit its first snag for me.
I really wanted one person (namely Sam) to stand up for Wes. By that point, everyone knew why Wes felt the way he did about himself, yet no one showed any real understanding. Instead, they accepted the accusation the girls made as something that was inevitable. Forgiving them and Sam was a huge journey for Wes, though I wish he made them work just a little harder for it.
The book ends a lot like it begins. With Wes eyeing the door, though he’s trying harder this time and this is where the second snag happened for me. While Wes shows tremendous growth, there is literally no relationship building between Wes and Maya. Sam’s whole reluctance to date was his concern for his daughter and as someone who was a single parent for many years, I needed to see that to believe they were at the point where the book ended.
Overall, solid writing, a character to root for, and a relationship that I want to believe will only get better.
I was given an ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review
January 30, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Clean Slate was a decent book. I really liked Wes, even though I wanted to throttle him through most of the story. He was fundamentally convinced he was a bad and irresponsible person (through no fault of his own). He’s carrying a heavy burden, and it’s given him a complex. This is why he can’t seem to relax and just be happy. He loves his family, though, even though his brother thinks he’s a bit of a loser. Wes’s niece, Kelsey, is his favorite person in the world, and their relationship is very sweet. As the story progresses, Wes seems to find his place in the world, taking his professional organizing skills and parlaying them into a cash business helping the neighbors organize their closets, garages, and basements.
One of his clients is Sam. Sam’s daughter, Maya, is Kelsey’s best friend. The girls are joined at the hip, so Sam and Wes wind up spending quite a bit of time together. Sam is tired of being celibate, but he thinks a relationship might be too much to handle between his job and raising a teenager. Sam is a great guy, and I felt for him. He was lonely, and nobody should be lonely. So, I was really rooting for him and Wes.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Clean Slate was a decent book. I really liked Wes, even though I wanted to throttle him through most of the story. He was fundamentally convinced he was a bad and irresponsible person (through no fault of his own). He’s carrying a heavy burden, and it’s given him a complex. This is why he can’t seem to relax and just be happy. He loves his family, though, even though his brother thinks he’s a bit of a loser. Wes’s niece, Kelsey, is his favorite person in the world, and their relationship is very sweet. As the story progresses, Wes seems to find his place in the world, taking his professional organizing skills and parlaying them into a cash business helping the neighbors organize their closets, garages, and basements.
One of his clients is Sam. Sam’s daughter, Maya, is Kelsey’s best friend. The girls are joined at the hip, so Sam and Wes wind up spending quite a bit of time together. Sam is tired of being celibate, but he thinks a relationship might be too much to handle between his job and raising a teenager. Sam is a great guy, and I felt for him. He was lonely, and nobody should be lonely. So, I was really rooting for him and Wes.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
February 5, 2017
DNF at 40%
I used to like Ms. Champa's books quite a bit, so this was an auto-buy that I'm deeply regretting now. First off, self-deprecation isn't attractive. The author is hinting at something that happened in Wes'es past that made him the way he is. I didn't get to find out what the big secret was, but at this point I stopped to care. Also, both he and Sam act and talk like the other two teens in the book. Sorry, but I don't want to waste my time on books that annoy me.
I used to like Ms. Champa's books quite a bit, so this was an auto-buy that I'm deeply regretting now. First off, self-deprecation isn't attractive. The author is hinting at something that happened in Wes'es past that made him the way he is. I didn't get to find out what the big secret was, but at this point I stopped to care. Also, both he and Sam act and talk like the other two teens in the book. Sorry, but I don't want to waste my time on books that annoy me.
February 3, 2017
I liked Wes, even if he was bit messed up, nonetheless he was great main character. His romance with Sam, was partly good and emotionally slow developing, but at the end wasn't satisfied. Something was off with it. Sure Wes forgave Sam, but somehow it wasn't enough, because he'll never forget.
April 28, 2017
2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews