Rock Hard

Hard, Hot 'N Sweaty #1

by Vona Logan

Caught between a rock and a hard place two men stare death in the eyes and all bets are off.


Aidan Walker never envisioned death would come for him so soon, but holding on for dear life he knew his time is up. Matt Raine lives for the adrenaline rush his professional rock climbing career brings him, but saving another climbers life was not on his daily to-do list. During agonizing minutes of terror, Matt rouses something in Aiden he would've never thought possible. After their ordeal Aidan finds he can't get Matt out of his mind and Matt seems to have the same problem as he surprises Aidan with a naughty visit. Can Aidan accept Matt in his life or is the price too high?

Genres: M M Romance, Gay For You, Short Stories

ebook

First published June 23, 2012

About the author

My life growing up was pretty dull until I sneaked off with one of my mom's romance books and a whole new world opened up.

Always a romantic at heart, the desire to write my own happily-ever-afters never waned. In early 2012 I took the bull by the horns and wrote my first short story. The publishers liked it and the rest as they say is history.

Some of my hobbies include racquet sports, reading and lusting after drool-worthy cars and motorbikes. Late at night I dream up gorgeous men and exciting plots to bring them to life.

Reviews

[Vio · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Loved how this started off with Aidan getting to meet his rescuer Matt in that sexy way, it was hot and just the perfect thing to take his mind off his troubles and it worked a charm. This would have been great as novel I find these shorts are maybe a bit too short. You get involved in the romance and then suddenly its over always leaving me wanting more.

[R.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Silver's Sparkle range; a collection of shorter stories and a great way of getting a taste of an author. I have rated it 4/5 based on the usual provisos of reading a short story. It has all the qualities a short story should have - the guys attracted from near the beginning, a small twist, then the satisfying end. Sex is kinda hot too!

Vona is certainly an author I will be looking out for with longer stories. She has a fluid writing style and her characterisation of the main guys was very clear and defined.

I tend to read longer books but sometimes short sweet and sexy is just what you need.

If you like two built guys (one of them hadn't accepted his attraction for men - which is where I would have loved more detail) then give this book a try.

Love the descriptions of the rock climbing and New Zealand.

I am just left with the same feeling I have after reading every short story that I enjoy... I wanted it to be longer...and then... I find out there is a sequel in the works! YES!

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted at Under the Covers Book Blog.

In this short and sweet novella, Aiden Walker, an experienced rock climber, finds himself in some very precarious positions. At the start of the story, Aiden has decided to do a solo rock climb on one of his favorite mountains near his hometown of Queenstown, New Zealand. He successfully rappelled a steep rock wall to the valley below, but on the climb up, his rope knot at the top of the cliff comes undone, falls, and pulls him down with it. Barely catching himself on a couple jutting rocks on the fall, he holds on for dear life, willing himself to stay strong. After some time, Aiden’s strength begins to wane, and just before succumbing to a deadly fate, Matt Raine comes in to save the day.

Matt, also an experienced climber, is an out and proud gay man. Even while both men’s lives literally hang in the balance, Matt is very intrigued by everything he can see about Aiden. In order to keep Aiden awake during the rescue, Matt engages Aiden with jokes about a date, how wonderful it is to be gay, and fun flirting. Aiden is not homophobic but readily tells his rescuer that he is straight and not interested. Ironically, his body’s reaction to his rescuer is telling him another thing.

Matt and Aiden separate after the rescue, but in the following weeks, the one thing that pervades each of their minds is the other man. Fortunately, for both the men (and the reader), they quickly find each other, and the sexual flirtation and tension that was a warm ember during the rescue is stoked into a burning flame upon seeing each other fully for the first time. While Aiden always assumed he was straight, he realizes that he has a serious attraction for Matt and his beautiful green eyes; fortunately, again, he is not too apprehensive about these new feelings, and while he soon finds himself in another new and precarious situation, he follows his heart.

Matt and Aiden are an adorable couple who I could re-read over and over. While I would have enjoyed reading more about them, I really like this novella because it was sweet, very hot, and not riddled with the insta-love that usually ruins a potentially good novella. These men have a strong attraction for each other, they realize that their lives are about to change because of it, but they are not saying the "L" word within 24 hours of having sex. For anyone needing a quick but excellent, feel good story full of delectable men and uberhawt sexy scenes, this novella is for you.

*Review copy provided by publisher

[Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hearts

First published at MM Good Book Reviews

http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Aidan is rock climbing when his lead rope falls to the ground and he is left contemplating his fate as he grips for all his life onto the rock face. Matt is about to start his own climb. When he sees a rope unravel from where it was tied, he rushes, as best he can to the rescue, annoyingly flirting with the man to keep him conscious, but it stirs something in him and he decides to pursue the straight man.

Well. What can I say except…hot and spicy, with a bit of ‘gay for you’ thrown in for good measure with two hot, muscled, sweaty, hunky, sexy men *drool*. Aidan is confused by the feelings that Matt has evoked in him and it gets him reflecting. Has he has always felt this way and buried it or if it is just Matt that can get him hot and horny. Matt is determined to make Aidan his, but after an attack of his pride he pushes Aidan away. But then Aidan makes a choice that Matt can’t disagree with.

Aidan is a great guy, has his own business, has money behind him and truly seems like a likable guy. Whereas, Matt is a professional sports personality who was dropped by his sponsors for being gay. He comes across as mischievous and fun-loving and, to be honest, when they are together sparks fly. The sex is mega hot and the time that we spend with them was fulfilling. Because, even though it is a short story, there is enough packed in to keep you satisfied. It is well written and flows smoothly giving us some great descriptions. And for those of you left wanting more, then don’t worry as there is a sequel in the pipeline.

So I will recommend this to those who want a bit of tension, confusion, a touch of worry, some hot sex, two sexy rock climbers and an ending that is a beginning.

[Gabbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Aidan Walker has a serious mishap during a recreational rock climb, he’s about to lose hope of ever being rescued and knows his life is about to come to an end. But, lucky for him, at the last moment he’s saved by professional rock climber, Matt Raine. Even though Aidan is extremely grateful to Matt for saving him, he’s surprised by the sudden attraction he has for the sexy man. Between Matt’s dominate personality, and the intense feelings they immediately have for one another, Aidan is confused. He’s never been attracted to someone like Matt, and unsure of his feelings and what he should do with them. But, Matt is persistent, and soon Aidan can’t help but become enchanted by him and Aidan is quickly faced with the decision of pushing his fear of the unknown aside, so he may possibly have a chance at achieving a once in a lifetime love.

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Logan is a new author to me and I liked her easy style of writing and her ability to tell an interesting and sexy short story. I enjoyed the chemistry between Matt and Aidan and I also enjoyed watching them dance around their attraction for each other. Not only were they interesting characters, they were likeable too. I think this short story is a good solution for those who need a quick, fun and sexy pick me up. I admit I do wish the story had actually been novel length because I would love to see their relationship develop as time goes by. It’s obvious that something truly special is happening between them and I really liked watching the beginning of their relationship.

[Serena Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet sums this story up, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's all red roses and moonlight! Right from the very start the two main characters' situation isn't easy. The story begins with a pretty hazardous situation - Aidan clinging to a rock face he probably shouldn't have attempted to conquer on his own, and Matt deciding to save him no matter the danger to himself.

Aidan leads a pretty normal life. Until that encounter on the mountainside when Matt saves his life, he hasn’t even considered that he might be gay. Matt's flirting and open challenge to "give it a try" make Aidan think. More than that, the moments of physical closeness have made his body react in unexpected ways and he is now curious.

Matt is out and proud, and even though his sponsors have dropped him, he remains cheerful. He makes it his mission to seduce Aidan. The banter between them made me laugh, and Matt's provocative statements do achieve what he is after. When these two do get together, the action is pretty hot.

If you like stories about characters with unusual hobbies/professions, if "gay for you" is a storyline you enjoy, and if insta-attraction doesn't bother you, you'll probably enjoy this short story.




NOTE: This book was provided by Silver Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review Written for http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Aiden is a straight man that loves extreme sports. He finds himself about to die, when he is rescued by Matt. While Matt is trying to save him Matt knows he needs to keep Aiden awake so he does it by heavy flirting. The suggestive things Matt says does more than piss Aiden off.
This is a good story of adventure and love. It shows that you can find your Mr Right anywhere and at the most inopportune times. As with any short story you get small glimpses of each character and not a lot of backstory. The story is well done, interesting concise and easy to follow.
I recommend this to anyone that likes, mountain climbing, extreme sports, risk takers, coming out, and falling in love (sorry couldn’t resist the pun).

[Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author and I really liked her style... the characters were vivid and three-dimensional, the rock climbing sub-plot worked well and I was left wanting to read more about this couple... My only niggles with the story was the apparent ease Aiden had in accepting his newly-discovered sexuality...I felt that this was a missed opportunity to expand the character development ... There were a couple of minor editing issues but not enough to detract from the reading experience... I liked the fact that Vona managed to keep some colloquial language in her book which I know is an on-going battle for non-American authors so that added an extra level of enjoyment to the reading experience.

In summary, this is a smexy, hot little short with a lot going for it.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nicely set up short story by an author totally new to me. There was a comfortable flow to the story which kept me interested. Aiden was a bit of a fat head for climbing alone regardless of how good he was. I liked the way that Matt flirted/teased Aiden in order to keep the wounded man conscious. Aiden's "wow, gee I'm gay." revelation was a bit of a turn off for me but it allowed for a good romance to blossom. I was impressed with the way Ms Logan worked homophobia in the sports world into the story. This newer author is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

[Sui Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great short story. Aidan and Matt are truly hot together and I can't wait to read more. Vona Logan succeeds in having a well paced short story that starts the reader off, literally hanging on a cliff and ends in a satisfying warm feeling of happily ever after. It could have been longer and it moves a little fast, but then it's a short story and I've grown to expect that in a short story format.

I'm looking forward to some great reads from this author in the future.

[Katy Beth Mckee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt has been a player but thinking he might want something different. Aiden has been having a hard time and is surprised himself at how Matt effects him. There is lots of drama and a couple that seemed to be made for each other.

[Kinny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's short but a feel good story that is also very fulfilling. For such a short story it is very believable.

[Dee Wy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple sweet story, but I really enjoyed it! This could easily be a prequel for a novel as I'd certainly enjoy reading more about Matt and Aidan.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short story. I'll be on the lookout for this author's next book.

[James Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot, interesting read.

[Tam]

This review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.

Aiden is out climbing when his rope fails and he’s left with only minutes before he knows he’ll plunge to his death. Just as he loses his grip, he’s rescued by a stranger, who then proceeds to flirt outrageously with him. Aiden is straight, but he strangely finds himself aroused by the things the man says, despite his serious injuries. The time they spend trapped on the ledge changes both men. Wild child Matt who can get anyone he wants, has decided he wants Matt and Aiden is open enough to wonder if he’s as straight as he always though.

He finds that Matt lost many sponsors when he came out and that causes some initial conflict for them when Matt finds him at work, as Matt doesn’t want “charity”, but Aiden doesn’t let Matt’s behaviour put him off. There isn’t much angst here. Aiden is pretty accepting of the fact that he may be gay. He spends some time thinking about it and decides he doesn’t care, he just wants Matt. He tells his friend very quickly and the friend is open and accepting, and when he goes to see Matt at the competition, Matt kisses him in front of the press and he’s fine with that. You’d think he would have been a bit more reticent, given that he’s never been with a guy and is a successful gym owner so you might worry about negative reactions, although it was kind of nice to have a change from the usual “oh woe is me, I’m gay” stressing you often get in these kind of stories.

One thing that kind of confused me, was Aiden’s sister. She’s in a coma following a car accident and there didn’t seem to be much point to her being in the story. Sure he “discusses” the situation with Matt with her, but she obviously doesn’t comment and she only comes out of the coma at the very end. There’s a bit of a whiff of love at first sight, although not in so many words, still, the description of him on the rock face waiting to die was really well written and I did like Aiden and his logical analysis of his “gayness”. It was an enjoyable enough read, I’m just not sure it would be a story I revisit, but worth reading when you’re in the mood for something without too much angst.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins with Aidan hanging by his fingertips from the edge of a cliff. He knows his death is imminent and his mind is going through everything he has left unfinished, the loved ones he will be leaving behind and the mistakes he made which led him to his current predicament. I got right into his head and connected with his emotions and his fears in just a few pages. It’s a brilliant beginning for a book that’s only 58 pages long. Right as Aidan is about to lose his grip, Matt drops down out of nowhere to rescue Aidan. Matt tries to keep Aidan conscious and engaged by flirting with him even though Aidan keeps proclaiming his heterosexuality. I thought the entire situation was odd. They’re still hanging off the face of a cliff, Aidan is bleeding and about ready to pass out, but somehow they both manage to get aroused and Aidan begins questioning his sexuality. The whole idea of flirting, sexual arousal and self-discovery while hurt and barely conscious was strange for me, it pulled me out of the story and I lost the connection I had going with Aidan.

Anyway, they get rescued and Aidan is rushed to the hospital while Matt is left behind to gather up his climbing gear and head home. They go their separate ways but neither can forget about the other. I’m not a fan of insta-love and I’m very happy to say that this was a case of insta-lust, or maybe insta-connection, but definitely not insta-love. That helped me to ease back into the story and reconnect with the characters as they each searched for the other. Once Aidan and Matt met up again I could feel the chemistry I had missed during the rescue.

I think the book could have been better if it had been a bit longer. Just 5 or 10 more pages might have allowed a chance to better develop Matt’s character and make the rescue and instant infatuation more believable. Still, it’s very good for such a short story. Matt and Aidan were great, I enjoyed the chemistry between them and there were even a couple obstacles to overcome before they could be together. Other than flirting and sexual revelations during the rescue, I would have to say that the book worked for me and I liked it.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aiden is an experienced climber but a careless accident now has him looking his own death in the face. What can he do? Just as he is about to give it up, an angel in the form of Matt Raine shows up to save him. As Matt holds him to the side of the rock and flirts away, I first thought, “really, you’d FLIRT now?” And then the question was answered later that yes, he would flirt now – a necessity to try to keep Aiden from passing out and possibly killing them both.

Aiden is a successful gym owner and Matt is a professional speed climber. When Matt came out as gay his sponsors dropped him. He doesn’t give up on his sport and doesn’t give up on Aiden. I did question one scene where Matt comes to see Aiden at work. Perhaps that was a bit quick for where Aiden was, but maybe not.

Aiden’s best friend, Damian, is an outstanding character. He is the kind of best friend everyone should have. Supportive, funny and there for Aiden as he tries to navigate his way from who he thought he was to who he might really be.

The story is not angsty despite the near-death beginning and both characters are likeable. There is a side story of Aiden’s sister, Taryn, that was a bit too “happy ever after” but we’ll give Aiden that!

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! This had everything I look for in a short story and more! The intensely HOT chemistry between the two heroes practically smoked up my computer screen as their relationship progressed.

I thought the premise of the story was very original (personally I've never read a book about rock climbers) and I enjoyed the banter between the two men. My only gripe about the story is: I wish it had been a full length novel! I would have loved to watch their relationship really develop into something truly amazing and beautiful. But, I thought Ms. Logan did a great job with this fast paced, short story and I'm really looking forward to reading more books by her.

[Erica Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kept being interrupted while I was reading this and in annoyed the hell out of me. The chemistry in this story is electrifying and the first scene just grabbed me. The characters had their own unique personality - Matt more than Adrian. I really liked Matt's hard attitude. The way this author describes the male body just makes me go out and find one to stare at (and more) right now! I agree with some reviewers that it's too short. I would have liked to see things develop a little slower, but it was a great read nonetheless.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story was simply TO SHORT. I'm sure it could be deeper developed and longer, too. With a bit more work on this story we could have a novel. If I take this story as it is, I can say; here we have an instant love story. I liked it and wouldn't mind reading more about this couple.

[jules0623 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great prologue... but I need the rest of the story. Too short to feel anywhere near complete or to connect or empathize with either of the MCs, and I like GFY stories to be a little more introspective. And the ending was just a little too perfect.

[Marlobo ♥ epilogues · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars