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Snapshots
Whatever your romance reading preference — gay virgin, opposites attract, friends to lovers, or simply fun how-they-met stories — this collection contains a variety of sweet, contemporary, short gay romances, sure to make you smile.
Rewritten and re-edited, these stories were previously published singly and are available now in one collection!
Contains the stories:
* Cow Pie Bingo
* King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate
* Born to Be Wild
* The Straggler
* Now and Forever
* Moving On
* Moving Along
* Dropping Quarters
* Nevermore
* Photo Shoot
* Okay, Then
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Preface:
I love short stories. Sometimes a brief “snapshot” taken from a couple’s larger story is all that’s wanted. The narrative of “how they met” is the focus of six of the shorts in this set—quirky tales ranging from meeting at a charity fundraiser, to college kids pranking each other, to a mishap at a XXX adult video arcade.
Also included is a story featuring a well-established couple’s wedding dilemma, a friends-to-lovers tale, a coming-out-of-the-closet drama, and a continuation short that follows one of those how-we-mets. Rounding out this collection is an account revisiting the main characters from my full-length novel, ’Til Death Do Us Part.
All of these stories are contemporary, although one has a bit of paranormal flavor to it. Heat ratings range from “fairly sweet” to “rather steamy.” Excepting the final story, all were originally written in 2008 and early 2009. One (“Photo Shoot”) started out as a prompt word ficlet that I later fleshed out to a more complete story. Each has received a thorough overhaul, some more extensive than others. I hope you’ll enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.
Rewritten and re-edited, these stories were previously published singly and are available now in one collection!
Contains the stories:
* Cow Pie Bingo
* King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate
* Born to Be Wild
* The Straggler
* Now and Forever
* Moving On
* Moving Along
* Dropping Quarters
* Nevermore
* Photo Shoot
* Okay, Then
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Preface:
I love short stories. Sometimes a brief “snapshot” taken from a couple’s larger story is all that’s wanted. The narrative of “how they met” is the focus of six of the shorts in this set—quirky tales ranging from meeting at a charity fundraiser, to college kids pranking each other, to a mishap at a XXX adult video arcade.
Also included is a story featuring a well-established couple’s wedding dilemma, a friends-to-lovers tale, a coming-out-of-the-closet drama, and a continuation short that follows one of those how-we-mets. Rounding out this collection is an account revisiting the main characters from my full-length novel, ’Til Death Do Us Part.
All of these stories are contemporary, although one has a bit of paranormal flavor to it. Heat ratings range from “fairly sweet” to “rather steamy.” Excepting the final story, all were originally written in 2008 and early 2009. One (“Photo Shoot”) started out as a prompt word ficlet that I later fleshed out to a more complete story. Each has received a thorough overhaul, some more extensive than others. I hope you’ll enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.
198 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2017
2 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Addison Albright
47 books135 followersAddison Albright is a writer living in the middle of the USA. Her stories are gay romance in contemporary, fantasy, and paranormal genres. She generally adds a subtle touch of humor, a smidgen of drama/angst, and a healthy dose of slice-of-life to her stories. Her education includes a BS in Education with a major in mathematics and a minor in chemistry. Addison loves spending time with her family, reading, popcorn, boating, french fries, “open window weather,” cats, math, and anything chocolate. She loves to read pretty much anything and everything, anytime and anywhere.
CONNECT WITH ADDISON
EMAIL: addison.albright@gmail.com
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ADDISON'S PUBLICATIONS
STAND-ALONE STORIES
- The Recruit (Novella)
- The Contingency Plan (Short Story/Novelette)
- Cultivating Love (Short Novel)
- King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate (FREE Short Story)
SERIES - DREAM ON
- Closets Are for Clothes (Short Novel)
SERIES - VOWS
- ’Til Death Do Us Part (Novel)
- From This Day Forward (Novelette)
- Okay, Then (Short Story in the Vows Box Set)
- To Love and To Cherish (Novel)
BOX SETS
- Vows Series
- Snapshots (a collection of 11 short stories)
ANTHOLOGIES
- Captain Jack and the Snack Attack (a short story in the FREE Make the Yuletide Gay Anthology)
CONNECT WITH ADDISON
EMAIL: addison.albright@gmail.com
FIND ADDISON ON THE WEB
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/addis...
QUEEROMANCE INK: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-bo...
ACTIVE
WORDPRESS: https://authoraddisonalbright.com
FACEBOOK PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/AddisonAlbright
FACEBOOK PROFILE: https://www.facebook.com/addison.albr...
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/addisonalbright
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/addisonalbr...
INACTIVE
BLOGGER: http://addison-albright.blogspot.com
LIVEJOURNAL: http://addisonalbright.livejournal.com
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/addisonal...
ADDISON'S PUBLICATIONS
STAND-ALONE STORIES
- The Recruit (Novella)
- The Contingency Plan (Short Story/Novelette)
- Cultivating Love (Short Novel)
- King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate (FREE Short Story)
SERIES - DREAM ON
- Closets Are for Clothes (Short Novel)
SERIES - VOWS
- ’Til Death Do Us Part (Novel)
- From This Day Forward (Novelette)
- Okay, Then (Short Story in the Vows Box Set)
- To Love and To Cherish (Novel)
BOX SETS
- Vows Series
- Snapshots (a collection of 11 short stories)
ANTHOLOGIES
- Captain Jack and the Snack Attack (a short story in the FREE Make the Yuletide Gay Anthology)
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 27, 2017
3.5 - 4 stars
This review and much more can be found at The Novel Approach
I really enjoy a good short story. I always seem to have short windows of time to read that lend themselves to these stories. I was really happy to see this collection from a writer whose work I’ve enjoyed over the years. This is a strong collection that covers all kinds of people and circumstances.
Cow Pie Bingo – This is a very cute story of a guy who has gotten divorced and realized that he is attracted to men. He hasn’t acted on it, though, and when his coworker talks him into helping out at a charity event, with a kissing booth, he can’t come up with a good enough reason to get out of it. So, he decides to just get through it. Then he ends up kissing a guy, and when he sees him later at another fundraising booth, he can’t pass up the chance to interact with him again. He enjoyed the flirting, and he’d like to see what happens next. He’s feeling good and it turns out to be his lucky day! ~ 4 stars
King Kong vs. the Skinny Pirate – This is an adorable story of opposites who both learn that maybe they shouldn’t judge a book by the cover. They meet at a bar and without any other prospects, they sort of “settle”. But, it turns out that there is more than meets the eye to these two. I really liked these fellas, and their chemistry is hard to deny. ~ 4 stars
Born to be Wild – On a college campus, a fraternity decides to prank some of its members, but it seems like maybe it’s a double-cross, and the Prankster is the one who ends up being surprised—in the best possible way. This one was a little too short and bare bones for my taste, but still a cute story and the MCs were both adorable. ~ 3 stars
The Straggler – Blake is out for a round of golf on the weekend, just waiting to be added to a threesome that needs a fourth. He’s shocked to discover that the group he’s assigned to includes one of the head honchos at his firm. His impression is that Frank Miller is a real hardass. He had NO idea that Frank was gay until this little golf outing. His friends Clive and Sammy round out the foursome, and they are relentless in teasing Frank about Blake, but Frank does something to put the whole work thing out of Blake’s mind.
The golf outing leads to a cookout at Frank’s, and Clive and Sammy seem to be taking their jobs as matchmakers quite seriously. They have been friends with Frank for a long time and only want to see him happy. Blake is unsure what he should do; he’s terribly attracted to Frank, but he loves his job and doesn’t want to risk that either. He’s also not sure where he stands with Frank, or what Frank really wants. They are just going to have to decide what they are willing to risk and what the reward might be. I really liked watching these two guys work towards being honest with each other and with themselves. One of my favorites in this collection. ~ 4 stars
Now and Forever – This is a very sweet story of two men who want to get married before Marriage Equality became the law of the land. They have different ideas about what they’d like that wedding to look like—big vs. small, elegant and formal vs. intimate and casual. Darryl and Warren work to make the day perfect for them both. ~ 3 stars
Moving On – This moving story has a paranormal element. Brandt has lost the love of his life. But his friends are encouraging him to move on. After all, it’s what Graeme would have wanted. And although Brandt really likes Mark, he still struggles with guilt over being disloyal to Graeme. But Mark is a wonderful and understanding man who doesn’t push Brandt. It takes some time, but Brandt may just be ready to move on with his life. Beautifully written. ~ 4 stars
Moving Along – This is the continuation of Mark and Brandt’s story. A lovely holiday follow up that finds Mark and Brandt enjoying Christmas together. It’s nice to see them again and share their happy ending. ~ 3.5 stars
Dropping Quarters – Luke and Cato run into each other at an adult video arcade, and while each thinks the other looks familiar, can’t quite place him. When they see each other again at a sporting event, it seems like they kind of hit it off and enjoy each other’s senses of humor. While Luke thinks Cato is blowing him off, they meet up again and think they might have something. This is a short, cute and a little bit hot story. ~ 3.5 stars
Nevermore – Ted Rhoads is a divorced teacher with two kids who lives his life in the closet. On weekends, he goes out as “Raven” to a club not in his hometown. His favorite hookup is a guy names Cesar. Imagine his surprise when he runs into Cesar and his daughter in a very public place, while with his kids. Cesar likes Ted as much as “Raven”, and encourages Ted to be true to himself. This story was a little too easy with the pat answers and no problems, but it’s still a nice short story. ~ 3 stars
Photo Shoot – I love friends-to-lovers stories, and this is an adorable story of two college age guys who have developed feelings for each other, but neither has had the courage to act on them. They are both afraid of fucking up their friendship, so they keep their feeling to themselves. Finally, Trent figures out a way to try to tell Eddie how he really feels. It’s kind of a throw away story, but cute enough. ~ 3 stars
Okay, Then – This story is linked to some other books by Addison Albright—the Vows series starring Sam and Henry. In this short, we get to see how Sam and Henry went from being work colleagues to boyfriends while on a summer research stint in the tropics. This proves to be very crucial to the rest of the series. I definitely recommend the entire series, as this is really just a taste of these two. ~ 3.5 stars
This review and much more can be found at The Novel Approach
I really enjoy a good short story. I always seem to have short windows of time to read that lend themselves to these stories. I was really happy to see this collection from a writer whose work I’ve enjoyed over the years. This is a strong collection that covers all kinds of people and circumstances.
Cow Pie Bingo – This is a very cute story of a guy who has gotten divorced and realized that he is attracted to men. He hasn’t acted on it, though, and when his coworker talks him into helping out at a charity event, with a kissing booth, he can’t come up with a good enough reason to get out of it. So, he decides to just get through it. Then he ends up kissing a guy, and when he sees him later at another fundraising booth, he can’t pass up the chance to interact with him again. He enjoyed the flirting, and he’d like to see what happens next. He’s feeling good and it turns out to be his lucky day! ~ 4 stars
King Kong vs. the Skinny Pirate – This is an adorable story of opposites who both learn that maybe they shouldn’t judge a book by the cover. They meet at a bar and without any other prospects, they sort of “settle”. But, it turns out that there is more than meets the eye to these two. I really liked these fellas, and their chemistry is hard to deny. ~ 4 stars
Born to be Wild – On a college campus, a fraternity decides to prank some of its members, but it seems like maybe it’s a double-cross, and the Prankster is the one who ends up being surprised—in the best possible way. This one was a little too short and bare bones for my taste, but still a cute story and the MCs were both adorable. ~ 3 stars
The Straggler – Blake is out for a round of golf on the weekend, just waiting to be added to a threesome that needs a fourth. He’s shocked to discover that the group he’s assigned to includes one of the head honchos at his firm. His impression is that Frank Miller is a real hardass. He had NO idea that Frank was gay until this little golf outing. His friends Clive and Sammy round out the foursome, and they are relentless in teasing Frank about Blake, but Frank does something to put the whole work thing out of Blake’s mind.
The golf outing leads to a cookout at Frank’s, and Clive and Sammy seem to be taking their jobs as matchmakers quite seriously. They have been friends with Frank for a long time and only want to see him happy. Blake is unsure what he should do; he’s terribly attracted to Frank, but he loves his job and doesn’t want to risk that either. He’s also not sure where he stands with Frank, or what Frank really wants. They are just going to have to decide what they are willing to risk and what the reward might be. I really liked watching these two guys work towards being honest with each other and with themselves. One of my favorites in this collection. ~ 4 stars
Now and Forever – This is a very sweet story of two men who want to get married before Marriage Equality became the law of the land. They have different ideas about what they’d like that wedding to look like—big vs. small, elegant and formal vs. intimate and casual. Darryl and Warren work to make the day perfect for them both. ~ 3 stars
Moving On – This moving story has a paranormal element. Brandt has lost the love of his life. But his friends are encouraging him to move on. After all, it’s what Graeme would have wanted. And although Brandt really likes Mark, he still struggles with guilt over being disloyal to Graeme. But Mark is a wonderful and understanding man who doesn’t push Brandt. It takes some time, but Brandt may just be ready to move on with his life. Beautifully written. ~ 4 stars
Moving Along – This is the continuation of Mark and Brandt’s story. A lovely holiday follow up that finds Mark and Brandt enjoying Christmas together. It’s nice to see them again and share their happy ending. ~ 3.5 stars
Dropping Quarters – Luke and Cato run into each other at an adult video arcade, and while each thinks the other looks familiar, can’t quite place him. When they see each other again at a sporting event, it seems like they kind of hit it off and enjoy each other’s senses of humor. While Luke thinks Cato is blowing him off, they meet up again and think they might have something. This is a short, cute and a little bit hot story. ~ 3.5 stars
Nevermore – Ted Rhoads is a divorced teacher with two kids who lives his life in the closet. On weekends, he goes out as “Raven” to a club not in his hometown. His favorite hookup is a guy names Cesar. Imagine his surprise when he runs into Cesar and his daughter in a very public place, while with his kids. Cesar likes Ted as much as “Raven”, and encourages Ted to be true to himself. This story was a little too easy with the pat answers and no problems, but it’s still a nice short story. ~ 3 stars
Photo Shoot – I love friends-to-lovers stories, and this is an adorable story of two college age guys who have developed feelings for each other, but neither has had the courage to act on them. They are both afraid of fucking up their friendship, so they keep their feeling to themselves. Finally, Trent figures out a way to try to tell Eddie how he really feels. It’s kind of a throw away story, but cute enough. ~ 3 stars
Okay, Then – This story is linked to some other books by Addison Albright—the Vows series starring Sam and Henry. In this short, we get to see how Sam and Henry went from being work colleagues to boyfriends while on a summer research stint in the tropics. This proves to be very crucial to the rest of the series. I definitely recommend the entire series, as this is really just a taste of these two. ~ 3.5 stars
February 26, 2017
Cow Pie Bingo
This was adorable and sweet while at the same time hot and sexy. I loved that Evan was so accepting of his newfound sexuality, and how he went for it with Gary. As quick and steamy as this story was, it really has my interest piqued to know more about the two of them and whether anything more happened with them after this short story ends!
King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate
Ya gotta love the unexpected matchup. The pleasant surprise of both Blaine and George at how everything went was great and made me smile for this odd coupling.
Born to Be Wild
While the starting premise of this story with Trey’s little prank idea was a bit shaky for me, I love how things ended up because of it. I’m not sure I agree with Roland’s decision at the end, but Fisher’s gesture with the rings was kind of cute ;-)
The Straggler
This is a sweet one punctuated with a nice splash of heat near the end. Blake and Frank working for the same company adds an interesting layer to things…and Clive and Sammy are so cute with how they push Blake and Frank together. This short is a great example of what can happen when you take a chance.
Now and Forever
*sigh* The love, the feels and just…awww…all my review of this one needs is a bunch of hearts all in a row.
Moving On
Dammit, she made me cry AND did it while adding in a voyeuristic flair. I LOVED this one.
Moving Along
Well that one just made Brandt and Mark my favorite couple from this set.
Dropping Quarters
Other than the slightly…icky reason behind why Luke and Cato met, the remainder of this story makes for a fun time.
Nevermore
Okay, these guys are my second favorite couple from this set. On the one hand when letting loose they are so very hot and I’m over here fanning myself, and on the other they’re really down to earth and you just WANT to see them end up together.
Photo Shoot
Friends to more is always a favorite of mine. I loved how funny and corny Trent was, and I thought it was sweet how Eddie was harboring such want for his best friend. This is definitely a pair that I would love to have a full length story!
Okay, Then
It was so wonderful to go back and see Sam and Henry when they’re first starting out. I absolutely loved their story in the author’s novel ’Til Death Do Us Part, and seeing them before those events was sweet with a touch of heat. It also makes me want to go back and read their full story again ;-)
One thing every single one of these stories had in common? They all made me want to know more about the couples and hear a full-length story for all of them…which means the author achieved her goal with this boxed set as far as I’m concerned—having me wanting more! 4 strong stars for Snapshots, I’d definitely recommend this to any M/M romance fan. This set is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content.
This was adorable and sweet while at the same time hot and sexy. I loved that Evan was so accepting of his newfound sexuality, and how he went for it with Gary. As quick and steamy as this story was, it really has my interest piqued to know more about the two of them and whether anything more happened with them after this short story ends!
King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate
Ya gotta love the unexpected matchup. The pleasant surprise of both Blaine and George at how everything went was great and made me smile for this odd coupling.
Born to Be Wild
While the starting premise of this story with Trey’s little prank idea was a bit shaky for me, I love how things ended up because of it. I’m not sure I agree with Roland’s decision at the end, but Fisher’s gesture with the rings was kind of cute ;-)
The Straggler
This is a sweet one punctuated with a nice splash of heat near the end. Blake and Frank working for the same company adds an interesting layer to things…and Clive and Sammy are so cute with how they push Blake and Frank together. This short is a great example of what can happen when you take a chance.
Now and Forever
*sigh* The love, the feels and just…awww…all my review of this one needs is a bunch of hearts all in a row.
Moving On
Dammit, she made me cry AND did it while adding in a voyeuristic flair. I LOVED this one.
Moving Along
Well that one just made Brandt and Mark my favorite couple from this set.
Dropping Quarters
Other than the slightly…icky reason behind why Luke and Cato met, the remainder of this story makes for a fun time.
Nevermore
Okay, these guys are my second favorite couple from this set. On the one hand when letting loose they are so very hot and I’m over here fanning myself, and on the other they’re really down to earth and you just WANT to see them end up together.
Photo Shoot
Friends to more is always a favorite of mine. I loved how funny and corny Trent was, and I thought it was sweet how Eddie was harboring such want for his best friend. This is definitely a pair that I would love to have a full length story!
Okay, Then
It was so wonderful to go back and see Sam and Henry when they’re first starting out. I absolutely loved their story in the author’s novel ’Til Death Do Us Part, and seeing them before those events was sweet with a touch of heat. It also makes me want to go back and read their full story again ;-)
One thing every single one of these stories had in common? They all made me want to know more about the couples and hear a full-length story for all of them…which means the author achieved her goal with this boxed set as far as I’m concerned—having me wanting more! 4 strong stars for Snapshots, I’d definitely recommend this to any M/M romance fan. This set is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content.
April 26, 2017
I really enjoy a good short story. I always seem to have short windows of time to read that lend themselves to these stories. I was really happy to see this collection from a writer whose work I’ve enjoyed over the years. This is a strong collection that covers all kinds of people and circumstances.
Cow Pie Bingo – This is a very cute story of a guy who has gotten divorced and realized that he is attracted to men. He hasn’t acted on it, though, and when his coworker talks him into helping out at a charity event, with a kissing booth, he can’t come up with a good enough reason to get out of it. So, he decides to just get through it. Then he ends up kissing a guy, and when he sees him later at another fundraising booth, he can’t pass up the chance to interact with him again. He enjoyed the flirting, and he’d like to see what happens next. He’s feeling good and it turns out to be his lucky day! ~ 4 stars
King Kong vs. the Skinny Pirate – This is an adorable story of opposites who both learn that maybe they shouldn’t judge a book by the cover. They meet at a bar and without any other prospects, they sort of “settle”. But, it turns out that there is more than meets the eye to these two. I really liked these fellas, and their chemistry is hard to deny. ~ 4 stars
Born to be Wild – On a college campus, a fraternity decides to prank some of its members, but it seems like maybe it’s a double-cross, and the Prankster is the one who ends up being surprised—in the best possible way. This one was a little too short and bare bones for my taste, but still a cute story and the MCs were both adorable. ~ 3 stars
The Straggler – Blake is out for a round of golf on the weekend, just waiting to be added to a threesome that needs a fourth. He’s shocked to discover that the group he’s assigned to includes one of the head honchos at his firm. His impression is that Frank Miller is a real hardass. He had NO idea that Frank was gay until this little golf outing. His friends Clive and Sammy round out the foursome, and they are relentless in teasing Frank about Blake, but Frank does something to put the whole work thing out of Blake’s mind.
The golf outing leads to a cookout at Frank’s, and Clive and Sammy seem to be taking their jobs as matchmakers quite seriously. They have been friends with Frank for a long time and only want to see him happy. Blake is unsure what he should do; he’s terribly attracted to Frank, but he loves his job and doesn’t want to risk that either. He’s also not sure where he stands with Frank, or what Frank really wants. They are just going to have to decide what they are willing to risk and what the reward might be. I really liked watching these two guys work towards being honest with each other and with themselves. One of my favorites in this collection. ~ 4 stars
Now and Forever – This is a very sweet story of two men who want to get married before Marriage Equality became the law of the land. They have different ideas about what they’d like that wedding to look like—big vs. small, elegant and formal vs. intimate and casual. Darryl and Warren work to make the day perfect for them both. ~ 3 stars
Moving On – This moving story has a paranormal element. Brandt has lost the love of his life. But his friends are encouraging him to move on. After all, it’s what Graeme would have wanted. And although Brandt really likes Mark, he still struggles with guilt over being disloyal to Graeme. But Mark is a wonderful and understanding man who doesn’t push Brandt. It takes some time, but Brandt may just be ready to move on with his life. Beautifully written. ~ 4 stars
Moving Along – This is the continuation of Mark and Brandt’s story. A lovely holiday follow up that finds Mark and Brandt enjoying Christmas together. It’s nice to see them again and share their happy ending. ~ 3.5 stars
Dropping Quarters – Luke and Cato run into each other at an adult video arcade, and while each thinks the other looks familiar, can’t quite place him. When they see each other again at a sporting event, it seems like they kind of hit it off and enjoy each other’s senses of humor. While Luke thinks Cato is blowing him off, they meet up again and think they might have something. This is a short, cute and a little bit hot story. ~ 3.5 stars
Nevermore – Ted Rhoads is a divorced teacher with two kids who lives his life in the closet. On weekends, he goes out as “Raven” to a club not in his hometown. His favorite hookup is a guy names Cesar. Imagine his surprise when he runs into Cesar and his daughter in a very public place, while with his kids. Cesar likes Ted as much as “Raven”, and encourages Ted to be true to himself. This story was a little too easy with the pat answers and no problems, but it’s still a nice short story. ~ 3 stars
Photo Shoot – I love friends-to-lovers stories, and this is an adorable story of two college age guys who have developed feelings for each other, but neither has had the courage to act on them. They are both afraid of fucking up their friendship, so they keep their feeling to themselves. Finally, Trent figures out a way to try to tell Eddie how he really feels. It’s kind of a throw away story, but cute enough. ~ 3 stars
Okay, Then – This story is linked to some other books by Addison Albright—the Vows series starring Sam and Henry. In this short, we get to see how Sam and Henry went from being work colleagues to boyfriends while on a summer research stint in the tropics. This proves to be very crucial to the rest of the series. I definitely recommend the entire series, as this is really just a taste of these two. ~ 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Sadonna for The Novel Approach
Cow Pie Bingo – This is a very cute story of a guy who has gotten divorced and realized that he is attracted to men. He hasn’t acted on it, though, and when his coworker talks him into helping out at a charity event, with a kissing booth, he can’t come up with a good enough reason to get out of it. So, he decides to just get through it. Then he ends up kissing a guy, and when he sees him later at another fundraising booth, he can’t pass up the chance to interact with him again. He enjoyed the flirting, and he’d like to see what happens next. He’s feeling good and it turns out to be his lucky day! ~ 4 stars
King Kong vs. the Skinny Pirate – This is an adorable story of opposites who both learn that maybe they shouldn’t judge a book by the cover. They meet at a bar and without any other prospects, they sort of “settle”. But, it turns out that there is more than meets the eye to these two. I really liked these fellas, and their chemistry is hard to deny. ~ 4 stars
Born to be Wild – On a college campus, a fraternity decides to prank some of its members, but it seems like maybe it’s a double-cross, and the Prankster is the one who ends up being surprised—in the best possible way. This one was a little too short and bare bones for my taste, but still a cute story and the MCs were both adorable. ~ 3 stars
The Straggler – Blake is out for a round of golf on the weekend, just waiting to be added to a threesome that needs a fourth. He’s shocked to discover that the group he’s assigned to includes one of the head honchos at his firm. His impression is that Frank Miller is a real hardass. He had NO idea that Frank was gay until this little golf outing. His friends Clive and Sammy round out the foursome, and they are relentless in teasing Frank about Blake, but Frank does something to put the whole work thing out of Blake’s mind.
The golf outing leads to a cookout at Frank’s, and Clive and Sammy seem to be taking their jobs as matchmakers quite seriously. They have been friends with Frank for a long time and only want to see him happy. Blake is unsure what he should do; he’s terribly attracted to Frank, but he loves his job and doesn’t want to risk that either. He’s also not sure where he stands with Frank, or what Frank really wants. They are just going to have to decide what they are willing to risk and what the reward might be. I really liked watching these two guys work towards being honest with each other and with themselves. One of my favorites in this collection. ~ 4 stars
Now and Forever – This is a very sweet story of two men who want to get married before Marriage Equality became the law of the land. They have different ideas about what they’d like that wedding to look like—big vs. small, elegant and formal vs. intimate and casual. Darryl and Warren work to make the day perfect for them both. ~ 3 stars
Moving On – This moving story has a paranormal element. Brandt has lost the love of his life. But his friends are encouraging him to move on. After all, it’s what Graeme would have wanted. And although Brandt really likes Mark, he still struggles with guilt over being disloyal to Graeme. But Mark is a wonderful and understanding man who doesn’t push Brandt. It takes some time, but Brandt may just be ready to move on with his life. Beautifully written. ~ 4 stars
Moving Along – This is the continuation of Mark and Brandt’s story. A lovely holiday follow up that finds Mark and Brandt enjoying Christmas together. It’s nice to see them again and share their happy ending. ~ 3.5 stars
Dropping Quarters – Luke and Cato run into each other at an adult video arcade, and while each thinks the other looks familiar, can’t quite place him. When they see each other again at a sporting event, it seems like they kind of hit it off and enjoy each other’s senses of humor. While Luke thinks Cato is blowing him off, they meet up again and think they might have something. This is a short, cute and a little bit hot story. ~ 3.5 stars
Nevermore – Ted Rhoads is a divorced teacher with two kids who lives his life in the closet. On weekends, he goes out as “Raven” to a club not in his hometown. His favorite hookup is a guy names Cesar. Imagine his surprise when he runs into Cesar and his daughter in a very public place, while with his kids. Cesar likes Ted as much as “Raven”, and encourages Ted to be true to himself. This story was a little too easy with the pat answers and no problems, but it’s still a nice short story. ~ 3 stars
Photo Shoot – I love friends-to-lovers stories, and this is an adorable story of two college age guys who have developed feelings for each other, but neither has had the courage to act on them. They are both afraid of fucking up their friendship, so they keep their feeling to themselves. Finally, Trent figures out a way to try to tell Eddie how he really feels. It’s kind of a throw away story, but cute enough. ~ 3 stars
Okay, Then – This story is linked to some other books by Addison Albright—the Vows series starring Sam and Henry. In this short, we get to see how Sam and Henry went from being work colleagues to boyfriends while on a summer research stint in the tropics. This proves to be very crucial to the rest of the series. I definitely recommend the entire series, as this is really just a taste of these two. ~ 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Sadonna for The Novel Approach
October 5, 2020
This bundle pack of sweet and romantic novellas is the perfect read for anyone who needs something light-hearted to enjoy.
Cow Pie Bingo - I loved this title and so will you when you find out why this novella is called this.
King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate - Blaine and George are complete opposites who meet at a bar one night.
Born to Be Wild - I'm not a fan of pranks so this one was okay.
The Straggler - This is a coworker romance story that takes place on the golf course with some encouragement from other friends. Adorable read!
Now and Forever - One of my favorite novellas in the pairing. It was just so sweet and takes place before Marriage Equality.
Moving On - This was such a sweet read about Brandt trying to move on after suffering a tragic loss. What a wonderful story about second chance romances.
Moving Along - This novella picks up immediately after Mark and Brandt met in Moving On and does a nice job of establishing a relationship.
Dropping Quarters - Luke and Cato meet in an unexpected way and then find each other again when both run into each other. Fun read :)
Nevermore - I love the Poe title and both men are so sweet together. This novella shows what happens when you decide to give love a chance.
Photo Shoot - I love friends to lovers so Trey and Eddie were incredibly sweet together! One of my favorites in this bundle.
Okay, Then - This is a prequel to the author's book "Til Death Do Us Part" so you'll understand it if you already read the other series.
I really enjoyed this bundle and got to sample a bit of everything. Well worth your time :)
Cow Pie Bingo - I loved this title and so will you when you find out why this novella is called this.
King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate - Blaine and George are complete opposites who meet at a bar one night.
Born to Be Wild - I'm not a fan of pranks so this one was okay.
The Straggler - This is a coworker romance story that takes place on the golf course with some encouragement from other friends. Adorable read!
Now and Forever - One of my favorite novellas in the pairing. It was just so sweet and takes place before Marriage Equality.
Moving On - This was such a sweet read about Brandt trying to move on after suffering a tragic loss. What a wonderful story about second chance romances.
Moving Along - This novella picks up immediately after Mark and Brandt met in Moving On and does a nice job of establishing a relationship.
Dropping Quarters - Luke and Cato meet in an unexpected way and then find each other again when both run into each other. Fun read :)
Nevermore - I love the Poe title and both men are so sweet together. This novella shows what happens when you decide to give love a chance.
Photo Shoot - I love friends to lovers so Trey and Eddie were incredibly sweet together! One of my favorites in this bundle.
Okay, Then - This is a prequel to the author's book "Til Death Do Us Part" so you'll understand it if you already read the other series.
I really enjoyed this bundle and got to sample a bit of everything. Well worth your time :)
September 15, 2021
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
There are eleven stories within this collection. Other than the two mentioned above, which includes the same MCs, and Okay, Then, which stars the MCs from her novel Til Death Do Us Part, they are all individual stories. Each one is complete as is, but the reader experiences a moment in time. For some, it’s the couples meeting, feeling that instant connection, and wanting to pursue more to see where things could go. For others, it’s friends who finally take that leap to the next step, or a man who takes a chance on someone so very not his type. I happen to love this kind of storytelling, and read it basically all the way through, wanting to know what the next short fic would be about and see how they interact and what happens. I enjoyed each story, some more than others, and really liked watching the wide variety of characters find their person. It was really enjoyable way to spend a few hours, fairly low on angst, and has chemistry galore.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4 stars
There are eleven stories within this collection. Other than the two mentioned above, which includes the same MCs, and Okay, Then, which stars the MCs from her novel Til Death Do Us Part, they are all individual stories. Each one is complete as is, but the reader experiences a moment in time. For some, it’s the couples meeting, feeling that instant connection, and wanting to pursue more to see where things could go. For others, it’s friends who finally take that leap to the next step, or a man who takes a chance on someone so very not his type. I happen to love this kind of storytelling, and read it basically all the way through, wanting to know what the next short fic would be about and see how they interact and what happens. I enjoyed each story, some more than others, and really liked watching the wide variety of characters find their person. It was really enjoyable way to spend a few hours, fairly low on angst, and has chemistry galore.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
November 12, 2019
5 twinkling stars from me 😍
This story was great for my weekend fun. I smiled, swooned and s8ghed a lot. Thank you Addis9n f9r putting your story on Kindle Unlimited. 😍
This story was great for my weekend fun. I smiled, swooned and s8ghed a lot. Thank you Addis9n f9r putting your story on Kindle Unlimited. 😍
March 9, 2017
Loved it. Eventhough all the stories were very short, none felt like it was a cliffhanger. So even if you never read any of the authors previous books, you may perfectly enjoy these tales. Great read when commuting.
February 25, 2017
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
Addison Albright introduces her book of short stories by sharing that she loves to read just a quick snapshot of a story which is how this book came about. There are ten short stories included in this 126-page novella. All the short stories are contemporary, and one is paranormal with the ghost of a previous lover. These short stories include meeting at a kissing booth, college kids pranking, awkward meet in an adult video arcade, friends to lovers, a Halloween party with a ghost, and coming out of the closet. All of these stories can be interpreted as the start of relationships, or for some of them, just a one-night hookup that the reader gets to witness. If you, like the author, enjoy a quick snapshot into the day of someone's life, then this is definitely a book you need to read!
I'm not going to offer a review of each of the stories in the book because they're short stories and a review would give everything away. But, the stories included are:
Cow Pie Bingo
King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate
Born to Be Wild
The Straggler
Now and Forever
Moving On
Moving Along
Dropping Quarters
Nevermore
Photo Shoot.
Moving On and Moving Along are related to each other, just a head's up, so you're not confused by the use of the same names.
Though I'm the type of person that would prefer to read a whole story about a couple, I think this novella was enjoyable and an easy read. And, if you enjoy creating the ending to stories for yourself, this is the book for you! You can read many of these stories and imagine that it's the start of the couple finding their HEA, or maybe it's just a one night meet that ended the next day. Your imagination is what's going to help you enjoy these!
Rating: 4 stars
Addison Albright introduces her book of short stories by sharing that she loves to read just a quick snapshot of a story which is how this book came about. There are ten short stories included in this 126-page novella. All the short stories are contemporary, and one is paranormal with the ghost of a previous lover. These short stories include meeting at a kissing booth, college kids pranking, awkward meet in an adult video arcade, friends to lovers, a Halloween party with a ghost, and coming out of the closet. All of these stories can be interpreted as the start of relationships, or for some of them, just a one-night hookup that the reader gets to witness. If you, like the author, enjoy a quick snapshot into the day of someone's life, then this is definitely a book you need to read!
I'm not going to offer a review of each of the stories in the book because they're short stories and a review would give everything away. But, the stories included are:
Cow Pie Bingo
King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate
Born to Be Wild
The Straggler
Now and Forever
Moving On
Moving Along
Dropping Quarters
Nevermore
Photo Shoot.
Moving On and Moving Along are related to each other, just a head's up, so you're not confused by the use of the same names.
Though I'm the type of person that would prefer to read a whole story about a couple, I think this novella was enjoyable and an easy read. And, if you enjoy creating the ending to stories for yourself, this is the book for you! You can read many of these stories and imagine that it's the start of the couple finding their HEA, or maybe it's just a one night meet that ended the next day. Your imagination is what's going to help you enjoy these!
Rating: 4 stars
March 7, 2017
Fantastic book full of very short stories. Great to read when you have a small amount of time or just want something short and sweet to read.
February 26, 2017
Cute collection of 'first meeting' stories. Would love for some of them to be developed into more full length novels or novellas.
May 30, 2018
I loved these, even though I would've liked a few of them to be a bit longer. Some of the shorts are quite steamy (so if that's not your thing, consider yourself warned), but I adored the varieties of ways couples found each other... and a few of the ones with existing couples still very much in love.
Was quite surprised to find one short had a bit of a paranormal flavour to it, that one almost made me cry.
I just can't pick a favourite short out of this lot.
Was quite surprised to find one short had a bit of a paranormal flavour to it, that one almost made me cry.
I just can't pick a favourite short out of this lot.
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