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Curious
An all-new, full-length story spun from the world of Seth King's bestselling Straight series
Two best friends. One week in paradise. One pact that goes explosively off the rails...
MSM - (men who have sex with men) - a growing phenomenon in which straight men engage in casual sex with other straight men, which sociologists attribute to loosening cultural norms and relaxing social views towards sexuality
Beau Lindemann and Nathan Sykes took their first steps together and went to their first prom in the same limo. In fact, there’s nothing the twenty-two-year-olds have ever kept from each other – except one long-simmering secret.
Today, Beau and Nathan have major girl problems. Each dumped by their girlfriends, they find themselves single, lonely and tipsy in Key West. After a boozy night of commiseration takes a shocking turn, Beau and Nathan decide to throw caution to the Atlantic winds, forget about girls for a few days, and make a pact to use each other’s bodies for sex.
That was their first mistake. But why worry about tomorrow when today feels this good?
Warning: this is not a warning. This book is about two dudes who love each other, and that's fine, and no "warning label" or "trigger warning" (as I often see on LGBT-related books) is needed, because there's nothing wrong with love. These warning labels only spread the idea that gay people are associated with shame and scandal, and you won’t ever find me using one. Thank you for reading. – Seth King
Two best friends. One week in paradise. One pact that goes explosively off the rails...
MSM - (men who have sex with men) - a growing phenomenon in which straight men engage in casual sex with other straight men, which sociologists attribute to loosening cultural norms and relaxing social views towards sexuality
Beau Lindemann and Nathan Sykes took their first steps together and went to their first prom in the same limo. In fact, there’s nothing the twenty-two-year-olds have ever kept from each other – except one long-simmering secret.
Today, Beau and Nathan have major girl problems. Each dumped by their girlfriends, they find themselves single, lonely and tipsy in Key West. After a boozy night of commiseration takes a shocking turn, Beau and Nathan decide to throw caution to the Atlantic winds, forget about girls for a few days, and make a pact to use each other’s bodies for sex.
That was their first mistake. But why worry about tomorrow when today feels this good?
Warning: this is not a warning. This book is about two dudes who love each other, and that's fine, and no "warning label" or "trigger warning" (as I often see on LGBT-related books) is needed, because there's nothing wrong with love. These warning labels only spread the idea that gay people are associated with shame and scandal, and you won’t ever find me using one. Thank you for reading. – Seth King
202 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2017
63 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Seth King
53 books1,869 followersSeth King is a twenty-eight-year-old American author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
October 25, 2017
Wow, that was some painfully schizophrenic plotting at times.
I started out really enjoying what seemed like a story that couldn't quite seem to decide if it wanted to be an M/M romance or just the latest erotic gem available on Nifty Gay Stories. (Highly-recommended story site, by the way.)
The writing was steamy and I genuinely liked the best friend MC's, even if their voices were very similar; however, I began to get very frustrated when these guys would think one thing on-page, then immediately turn around and do the exact opposite in the very next paragraph.
This tendency started to feel contrived, pulling the story in weird directions simply for the sake of upping the drama factor. In short, it felt very forced to me.
This next part is an itty-bit SPOILERY, so proceed at your own risk.
This got worse and worse until the big, decades-long “dream sequence” toward the end that made me feel like my head was about to blow clean off my shoulders!
No, I'm not even joking about that. I already had my Divorce Papers drawn up and signed, ready to break up with this author once and for all.
Then suddenly, everything turned on a dime, going from post-apocalyptic levels of Emo Angst to a sunshine-and-rainbows perfect ending.
I *hate* fuckery and feeling like I'm being jerked around by an author, which is precisely how this story left me feeling.
So while the sex was generally hot and the characters likeable, and this story was less preachy than its predecessor, "Straight", taking everything into consideration, this was about a 2.75 star read for me, at best.
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October 22, 2017
It's surprisingly difficult for me to review this book, because I'm not sure which angle I want to take. I definitely enjoyed it, but I was keenly aware of the social commentary all throughout. That's not actually a criticism, and some anvils definitely can stand to be dropped, but my enjoyment of this book is a bit complicated to describe.
Overall I had fun with it, enjoyed both MCs, and found it pretty sexy as well as thought-provoking.
When I try to put my finger on which elements held it back from being an obvious 4+ stars for me, this is what comes to mind:
- I was occasionally confused as to where on the timeline events were happening. To be fair, it could just be me failing to pick up on the author's cues to indicate either a time skip or a direct continuation of a previous scene.
- Spoiler tag incoming:
Overall I had fun with it, enjoyed both MCs, and found it pretty sexy as well as thought-provoking.
When I try to put my finger on which elements held it back from being an obvious 4+ stars for me, this is what comes to mind:
- I was occasionally confused as to where on the timeline events were happening. To be fair, it could just be me failing to pick up on the author's cues to indicate either a time skip or a direct continuation of a previous scene.
- Spoiler tag incoming:
July 11, 2020
As I neared the end of this book, I planned to give it 3 stars and walk away, rather than struggle to articulate my ambivalent feelings about it.
Then I hit 90%, and *BAM* there went a star. And there went my ambivalence, too. The author pulls a nasty trick, a variation on the ploy that readers all hate FOR A REASON.
So my mixed feelings congealed into very cranky ones, swamping my mild positivity toward the lifelong-friends-to-lovers, bisexual self-discovery journey that Nathan and Beau take together.
And if that wasn't enough to make a person cranky, what about that prologue? It was an explicit, milestone sex scene from the MIDDLE of the story -- why do authors do this? To assure you that yes, there will be sex? To encourage you to stick around for the smut if the story starts out boring? Never mind, that's not the real problem here. The problem is that this sex scene, which ends with a third party barging into the room and creating a huge crisis, never actually happens in the story. I spent the whole book cringing, waiting for them to be discovered at the worst possible moment, but that big event in the prologue never happened. WTF? WTFF?
This was the first book I've read by this author, and it didn't leave me motivated to try another.
Then I hit 90%, and *BAM* there went a star. And there went my ambivalence, too. The author pulls a nasty trick, a variation on the ploy that readers all hate FOR A REASON.
So my mixed feelings congealed into very cranky ones, swamping my mild positivity toward the lifelong-friends-to-lovers, bisexual self-discovery journey that Nathan and Beau take together.
And if that wasn't enough to make a person cranky, what about that prologue? It was an explicit, milestone sex scene from the MIDDLE of the story -- why do authors do this? To assure you that yes, there will be sex? To encourage you to stick around for the smut if the story starts out boring? Never mind, that's not the real problem here. The problem is that this sex scene, which ends with a third party barging into the room and creating a huge crisis, never actually happens in the story. I spent the whole book cringing, waiting for them to be discovered at the worst possible moment, but that big event in the prologue never happened. WTF? WTFF?
This was the first book I've read by this author, and it didn't leave me motivated to try another.
October 23, 2017
Curious indeed. I wanted so much to love this. And love the cover and the characters I did. But I was mostly left a little confused.
Both of these guys came off to me as Gay or at least Bi...but never straight with the curiosity for something else so the MSM for me didn't really apply to these guys (although I appreciated the introduction and discussion of this "growing phenomenon"). Having both POVs for me reinforced this as well as seeing so many scenes from their beautiful friendship growing up. I think ultimately this might have worked better for me had we only gotten Nathan's POV. Perhaps even switching to Beau's at the very end of the book. Because it seemed their personal thoughts never really coincided with what unfolded and therefore the intended WTF moment at the end was not near as impactful as it could have been.
The prologue was left unresolved, so honestly I still have no idea who walked into the hotel room or why this prologue was even included.
The switch in POVs many times had me scratching my head as to who's head I was in, and left me having to flip back to see. The indication of who is speaking during the dialogue at least a few times would have helped this, as this was very limited if done at all.
I love Seth's writing and there are some amazing moments in this book but ultimately this one fell short for me.
Both of these guys came off to me as Gay or at least Bi...but never straight with the curiosity for something else so the MSM for me didn't really apply to these guys (although I appreciated the introduction and discussion of this "growing phenomenon"). Having both POVs for me reinforced this as well as seeing so many scenes from their beautiful friendship growing up. I think ultimately this might have worked better for me had we only gotten Nathan's POV. Perhaps even switching to Beau's at the very end of the book. Because it seemed their personal thoughts never really coincided with what unfolded and therefore the intended WTF moment at the end was not near as impactful as it could have been.
The prologue was left unresolved, so honestly I still have no idea who walked into the hotel room or why this prologue was even included.
The switch in POVs many times had me scratching my head as to who's head I was in, and left me having to flip back to see. The indication of who is speaking during the dialogue at least a few times would have helped this, as this was very limited if done at all.
I love Seth's writing and there are some amazing moments in this book but ultimately this one fell short for me.
October 10, 2017
This book left me light, giddy, and with a full heart.
First things first I have to say that Seth King writes sex just as well as he does emotion. Holy shit Curious is hot. It's hot and I freaking loved it. It was so different than what we normally get from him and it was perfect.
Beau and Nathan couldn't have been any more perfect for each other. After all, who could love you the best and the most other than your best friend? No one. And that's what they learn. Oh, they also learn that they aren't as straight as once thought. These type of GFY, friends-to-lovers books are some of my favorite tropes. When you take two people who have always been perfect together and show the moments they realize it as well it makes for some great, sometimes emotional reading.
Seth King did his thing again and brought us a love story. A love story that just happened to be about two guys discovering they liked dick for the first time.
The whole concept of MSM is an interesting one. And while it's something that's been vaguely acknowledged in other friends-to-lovers or GFY (hate that term by the way) book, it's never been such in depth as it is in Curious.
The whole things starts because Nathan is curious about an article. Then he's curious about his best friend. Then he's curious about his best friend's dick and ass and every other part of him. And suddenly they're both curious together.
Curious is written in a way a lot of Seth's books aren't. It's told from both Beau and Nathan's POVs. And while I can name which books have dual POV, it's not the same as with Curious. Both men are learning how to deal with each other on a non-platonic basis and so you need to see both sides of the story. Considering the male POV is my favorite to read and write, to have it told by both men hit all the right buttons for me as a reader.
I knew this book wasn't going to just be the fun, sexy, light read it is portrayed as. After all, I learned a long time ago to never expect things when it comes to Seth King and his writing. What I didn't expect was to feel as light, as giddy, and as in love as I do.
I cried happy tears. I'm still crying happy tears. I can count on one hand maybe the number of times I finished a book crying happy tears.
Not all my tears were happy, there was a moment when my eyes started leaking that I was afraid. I do not put HEA and Seth King in the same category very often. And anyone who has read a good number of his previous work will know why.
I never wanted this story to end. I wanted to stay with Beau and Nathan forever as they came into themselves (and each other) and found the balance and the strength to make life what they wanted it to be. Yes we see that during various points, but this book is set in the real world. Something I've always admired from Seth and will probably always admire. He isn't afraid to tell it how it is.
Curious can be a bit messy, after all, who do two guys go from being best friends to more-than-friends? It can also be light, and funny, and full of love. Love that is sorely lacking in this world.
If you're curious about Seth King as you've never read him then pick this book up. It's something that will make you feel good afterwards. Something that will make you feel love. As you can't read about the love between these two characters and not feel it yourself.
First things first I have to say that Seth King writes sex just as well as he does emotion. Holy shit Curious is hot. It's hot and I freaking loved it. It was so different than what we normally get from him and it was perfect.
Beau and Nathan couldn't have been any more perfect for each other. After all, who could love you the best and the most other than your best friend? No one. And that's what they learn. Oh, they also learn that they aren't as straight as once thought. These type of GFY, friends-to-lovers books are some of my favorite tropes. When you take two people who have always been perfect together and show the moments they realize it as well it makes for some great, sometimes emotional reading.
Seth King did his thing again and brought us a love story. A love story that just happened to be about two guys discovering they liked dick for the first time.
The whole concept of MSM is an interesting one. And while it's something that's been vaguely acknowledged in other friends-to-lovers or GFY (hate that term by the way) book, it's never been such in depth as it is in Curious.
The whole things starts because Nathan is curious about an article. Then he's curious about his best friend. Then he's curious about his best friend's dick and ass and every other part of him. And suddenly they're both curious together.
Curious is written in a way a lot of Seth's books aren't. It's told from both Beau and Nathan's POVs. And while I can name which books have dual POV, it's not the same as with Curious. Both men are learning how to deal with each other on a non-platonic basis and so you need to see both sides of the story. Considering the male POV is my favorite to read and write, to have it told by both men hit all the right buttons for me as a reader.
I knew this book wasn't going to just be the fun, sexy, light read it is portrayed as. After all, I learned a long time ago to never expect things when it comes to Seth King and his writing. What I didn't expect was to feel as light, as giddy, and as in love as I do.
I cried happy tears. I'm still crying happy tears. I can count on one hand maybe the number of times I finished a book crying happy tears.
Not all my tears were happy, there was a moment when my eyes started leaking that I was afraid. I do not put HEA and Seth King in the same category very often. And anyone who has read a good number of his previous work will know why.
I never wanted this story to end. I wanted to stay with Beau and Nathan forever as they came into themselves (and each other) and found the balance and the strength to make life what they wanted it to be. Yes we see that during various points, but this book is set in the real world. Something I've always admired from Seth and will probably always admire. He isn't afraid to tell it how it is.
Curious can be a bit messy, after all, who do two guys go from being best friends to more-than-friends? It can also be light, and funny, and full of love. Love that is sorely lacking in this world.
If you're curious about Seth King as you've never read him then pick this book up. It's something that will make you feel good afterwards. Something that will make you feel love. As you can't read about the love between these two characters and not feel it yourself.
October 12, 2017
*Disclaimer* please don't attack the 3 star reviewer because....this is my honest opinion.
I bought this book, because honestly, after reading Straight a while back, I found that I liked Seth's voice. His writing in that book sucked me in, kept me interested, and never gave me the need to not finish. It's pretty simple when I say, I know pretty quick if a book will keep my interest.
So, I understand that this book is loosely or completely based on an experience that he himself had.....
And that's great, many authors write from personal experiences and I have not one single issue with that.
I have read a TON of MM books. In all troupes. This is not my first "2 straight guys decide that they are gay for each other".....
But.......
I didn't like these guys and I am not sure what it was, specifically, that turned me off. I think they were too "bro" if that makes sense???? Like, the character's tried way to hard to be all dude where's my car with each other while also discovering that they loved each other. The sex scenes were a cross between hot and comical. And not comical because they told jokes.
And the ending....
I bought this book, because honestly, after reading Straight a while back, I found that I liked Seth's voice. His writing in that book sucked me in, kept me interested, and never gave me the need to not finish. It's pretty simple when I say, I know pretty quick if a book will keep my interest.
So, I understand that this book is loosely or completely based on an experience that he himself had.....
And that's great, many authors write from personal experiences and I have not one single issue with that.
I have read a TON of MM books. In all troupes. This is not my first "2 straight guys decide that they are gay for each other".....
But.......
I didn't like these guys and I am not sure what it was, specifically, that turned me off. I think they were too "bro" if that makes sense???? Like, the character's tried way to hard to be all dude where's my car with each other while also discovering that they loved each other. The sex scenes were a cross between hot and comical. And not comical because they told jokes.
And the ending....
October 17, 2017
This was not for me. I could not get into it from the first page and I could not believe anything I was reading. The thinking of the characters, the way they talked, their interactions with one another, nothing was believable to me and I did not enjoy this one at all.
October 12, 2017
Seth King: Straight, Straight-ish, Curious, Honesty
One review for four books. Read them all for their powerful treatment of different aspects of one theme. They are so much more than mere 'hot gay novels'.
Four books by Seth King that really explore one apparently very simple problem: how to be yourself. That has to be easy, doesn't it? Reassuringly, we say to a friend going for an interview, 'Just be yourself.' Sounds easy. 'Relax. Just be yourself.'
But Seth King really engages with how 'being yourself' is a lifelong challenge to each one of us, and a challenge that is so difficult that mostly, and repeatedly, we fail. At best, we fail in part; at worst we simply give up the struggle, and kid ourselves that we have succeeded, as it's so much easier just to go with the flow, even if that means drowning in a collective set of assumptions, unthought beliefs, expectations, inherited myths, bullying demands - all from other people.
Growing to self-ness, or selfhood, has been described as the process of making real (realizing) that which we each have it in us to become.
Carl Jung saw The Self as an archetype - that is a universal truth shared by all mankind, but which it falls to each of us to flesh out into reality in a way that is unique to every one of us. So, universal and unique at one and the same time. Easy?!
So here we begin to touch on some of the paradoxes inherent in this process. Other people pressure us to be the person they want or expect us to be. It may be one parent who vests in their child their own need for immortality in the form of grandchildren, or their need for success in the career they were never able to follow themselves. It may be the need of a group, or even a whole society for an idealised figure to look up to. One person cannot possibly carry the weight of such an unrealistic need of so many and often come to grief in the attempt to satisfy that need - Diana, the Fairytale People's Princess, or Marilyn Monroe, the Star, or Elvis, the King; Maria Callas, The Diva, the Goddess, whose private life was a tragic succession of failures and repeated rejections in her search for relationship that might anchor her in the security of being a person.
Looked at in this way, 'other people' are the enemy of the Self in their insistance on the individual fulfilling vicariously their (often quite unrealistic) collective needs.
However it is still more complicated that that. The Self can only be realized in relation to other people; it is relational. Achieving selfhood by living the hermit's life beyond the reach of others is a very difficult path. That way lie the dangers of living a fantasy without the ability to test it against reality. 'I'm embarrassed that people were noticing things I never even noticed about myself,' King puts into the mouth of his character in Curious. He sees that his own perception of himself is not the whole story, and other people can be helpful in revealing parts of himself to himself.
But relying on others is fraught with problems. By no means is everyone curious enough about other people and also secure enough in their own selfhood to be able to admire and celebrate another's difference, and by so doing, support and validate that difference. Seeing oneself reflected warmly in the mirror of the Other helps us realize ourself. More common is the tendency to attack and denigrate any difference in other people, leaving that person in doubt about the reality of themselves. Again from Curious, Nathan reflects on his sense of Self before meeting Beau:
That image of lighting up a whole world is a pretty good account of the experience of coming to selfhood, with the help of a loving Other. This passage also demonstrates how one person's acceptance enables acceptance in the Other.
Ty, in Straight-ish asks the important question about his relationship with Henry:
Henry deals with the same question from his viewpoint:
He has already commented that 'We are all, from the very first moment, politicized.'
Remember Fanny in Jane Austin's Mansfield Park being addressed by her guardian. He says to her words that appear on the surface to be about Fanny, but which are in fact all about him: 'You have disappointed every expectation I had formed, and proved yourself of a character the very reverse of what I had supposed.'
Straight-ish is rather oddly prefaced by a quotation from Audre Lorde: 'If I didn't define myself for myself, I'd be crunched into other people's fantasies of me and eaten alive.' This rather aggressively feminist statement is OK as far as it goes, but it is, I feel, King, in the following novel, who makes the case rather better for the more complicated, interactive, need for other people to be in on this process.
King is very good at capturing the agony as well as the ecstasy of finding out who you are - and who you have it in you to become, because it is not a question that can be answered once for all: it is a journey without end. It requires courage and daring, and honesty - all well addressed in these books. There is pain in the process of being forged between the rigid anvil of reality and the hammer of ideals and hopes and dreams.
One review for four books. Read them all for their powerful treatment of different aspects of one theme. They are so much more than mere 'hot gay novels'.
Four books by Seth King that really explore one apparently very simple problem: how to be yourself. That has to be easy, doesn't it? Reassuringly, we say to a friend going for an interview, 'Just be yourself.' Sounds easy. 'Relax. Just be yourself.'
But Seth King really engages with how 'being yourself' is a lifelong challenge to each one of us, and a challenge that is so difficult that mostly, and repeatedly, we fail. At best, we fail in part; at worst we simply give up the struggle, and kid ourselves that we have succeeded, as it's so much easier just to go with the flow, even if that means drowning in a collective set of assumptions, unthought beliefs, expectations, inherited myths, bullying demands - all from other people.
Growing to self-ness, or selfhood, has been described as the process of making real (realizing) that which we each have it in us to become.
Carl Jung saw The Self as an archetype - that is a universal truth shared by all mankind, but which it falls to each of us to flesh out into reality in a way that is unique to every one of us. So, universal and unique at one and the same time. Easy?!
So here we begin to touch on some of the paradoxes inherent in this process. Other people pressure us to be the person they want or expect us to be. It may be one parent who vests in their child their own need for immortality in the form of grandchildren, or their need for success in the career they were never able to follow themselves. It may be the need of a group, or even a whole society for an idealised figure to look up to. One person cannot possibly carry the weight of such an unrealistic need of so many and often come to grief in the attempt to satisfy that need - Diana, the Fairytale People's Princess, or Marilyn Monroe, the Star, or Elvis, the King; Maria Callas, The Diva, the Goddess, whose private life was a tragic succession of failures and repeated rejections in her search for relationship that might anchor her in the security of being a person.
Looked at in this way, 'other people' are the enemy of the Self in their insistance on the individual fulfilling vicariously their (often quite unrealistic) collective needs.
However it is still more complicated that that. The Self can only be realized in relation to other people; it is relational. Achieving selfhood by living the hermit's life beyond the reach of others is a very difficult path. That way lie the dangers of living a fantasy without the ability to test it against reality. 'I'm embarrassed that people were noticing things I never even noticed about myself,' King puts into the mouth of his character in Curious. He sees that his own perception of himself is not the whole story, and other people can be helpful in revealing parts of himself to himself.
But relying on others is fraught with problems. By no means is everyone curious enough about other people and also secure enough in their own selfhood to be able to admire and celebrate another's difference, and by so doing, support and validate that difference. Seeing oneself reflected warmly in the mirror of the Other helps us realize ourself. More common is the tendency to attack and denigrate any difference in other people, leaving that person in doubt about the reality of themselves. Again from Curious, Nathan reflects on his sense of Self before meeting Beau:
. . . The boy who sometimes felt things for his best friend and tried to hide those things, to stamp them out like a lit cigarette on a sidewalk, because that friend happened to be a boy. That boy was so afraid, so alone, that he didn't recognise the love he felt all along in his own chest for that friend. Looking back I wish I could find that boy, that terrified version of me . . . . I would tell him that there was nothing wrong with him at all . . . I would tell him that one day, a time would come when he didn't hate the "different" parts of himself at all - and that one day he would open himself to the love he felt for that friend, and that the friend would open himself, too, and that their love would light up a whole world . . .
That image of lighting up a whole world is a pretty good account of the experience of coming to selfhood, with the help of a loving Other. This passage also demonstrates how one person's acceptance enables acceptance in the Other.
Ty, in Straight-ish asks the important question about his relationship with Henry:
Who would I be without him?
But just as important is another question: who am I with him?
Henry deals with the same question from his viewpoint:
You will never accept yourself if you're under the nose of someone who doesn't accept you.
He has already commented that 'We are all, from the very first moment, politicized.'
Remember Fanny in Jane Austin's Mansfield Park being addressed by her guardian. He says to her words that appear on the surface to be about Fanny, but which are in fact all about him: 'You have disappointed every expectation I had formed, and proved yourself of a character the very reverse of what I had supposed.'
Straight-ish is rather oddly prefaced by a quotation from Audre Lorde: 'If I didn't define myself for myself, I'd be crunched into other people's fantasies of me and eaten alive.' This rather aggressively feminist statement is OK as far as it goes, but it is, I feel, King, in the following novel, who makes the case rather better for the more complicated, interactive, need for other people to be in on this process.
King is very good at capturing the agony as well as the ecstasy of finding out who you are - and who you have it in you to become, because it is not a question that can be answered once for all: it is a journey without end. It requires courage and daring, and honesty - all well addressed in these books. There is pain in the process of being forged between the rigid anvil of reality and the hammer of ideals and hopes and dreams.
October 16, 2017
Another amazing book from Seth King. Five stars are never enough.
I always have high expectations when I read a new Seth King book and Curious did not disappoint. It's taken me 3 days after reading it to be able to try to express how much I loved it. Seth's words are so amazing I find that what I come up with in my reviews will never do them justice.
If I had to describe Curious in a few words I'd call it a friends to lovers bromance with a Seth King twist. If you have ever read a Seth King book you will know there is nothing ordinary or straight forward in where he takes his characters and Curious was no different.
It started with an article about MSM (men having sex with men) for long time best friends Nathan and Beau and it cascaded into experimenting together on a trip away after they both experienced breakups with their girlfriends.
Seth takes Nathan and Beau on a journey, and the reader with them, and their journey includes some steamy hot male on male action. There were times when I wanted to punch both of them and tell them to wake up, the chemistry between them was so obvious, but fear was holding them both back.
I have to say at one point the story broke me. I have learnt not to expect a HEA from Seth's books, so when there is one I am pleasantly surprised, however there is a part of Curious that was so heartbreaking that I had to stop reading because I was crying so hard I couldn't see the words.
I could not stop reading. I wish that I could unread Curious so I could have the first read experience all over again.
Once again Seth has delivered a dynamic, funny, emotional book which I will not stop recommending to whoever will listen, and even those who won't.
I always have high expectations when I read a new Seth King book and Curious did not disappoint. It's taken me 3 days after reading it to be able to try to express how much I loved it. Seth's words are so amazing I find that what I come up with in my reviews will never do them justice.
If I had to describe Curious in a few words I'd call it a friends to lovers bromance with a Seth King twist. If you have ever read a Seth King book you will know there is nothing ordinary or straight forward in where he takes his characters and Curious was no different.
It started with an article about MSM (men having sex with men) for long time best friends Nathan and Beau and it cascaded into experimenting together on a trip away after they both experienced breakups with their girlfriends.
Seth takes Nathan and Beau on a journey, and the reader with them, and their journey includes some steamy hot male on male action. There were times when I wanted to punch both of them and tell them to wake up, the chemistry between them was so obvious, but fear was holding them both back.
I have to say at one point the story broke me. I have learnt not to expect a HEA from Seth's books, so when there is one I am pleasantly surprised, however there is a part of Curious that was so heartbreaking that I had to stop reading because I was crying so hard I couldn't see the words.
I could not stop reading. I wish that I could unread Curious so I could have the first read experience all over again.
Once again Seth has delivered a dynamic, funny, emotional book which I will not stop recommending to whoever will listen, and even those who won't.
October 20, 2017
Okay, I will admit I was curious about Curious!! I love GFY and MSM books so this one really caught my interest and I loved it!!! Two best friends find themselves at a wedding without dates and the sparks fly and their curiously gets the best of them! Extremely Hot!!!
October 25, 2017
i am speechless right now, and crying like a baby...
February 7, 2021
Guilty pleasure 2.
Read
August 5, 2018Na de eerste paar hoofdstukken gestopt. Amateuristisch geschreven, was niet mijn ding.
October 26, 2017
Great read if...you enjoy m/m, emotional reads, self discovery, friends to lovers, and an HEA.
Side note: This was my first Seth King novel. The writing was solid. It packed heart and had a simple to enjoy flow. Both characters had some pros and some cons as great characters should. The sex scenes were really hot, very intense, and definitely added so much to the story and created a true "paradise" for the pair. The storyline was overall a good/interesting concept and I totally enjoyed reading it. There are two things that kept me from going to a five star and I wanna express them and gently just say that this is MY OPINION and not meant to offend, just meant express my views. The first thing was some of the talk of tolerance felt more on the preachy side, like to the point it took away from the story when pushing the importance of tolerance and understanding and how society is changing and it's okay to be this and that. Don't get me wrong, some of that was definitely needed esp when certain plot point moments, but some of it was too much and over done and repetitive to a point. The other thing was a bit of the conversation between the pair, wasn't natural enough for me. It didn't always flow like a "normal" conversation would and at other times it felt too over the top with them trying to "bro out" in a way. Sometimes the conversation were perfect and romantic and friendly like friends, but there were many that had me shaking my head at the way it felt forced and fake. WITH THAT SAID, over all this book was definitely a great read. I would totally recommend it to anyone who likes what I mentioned above for it being a great read. This was my first Seth book, but I do not believe it will be my last.
Side note: This was my first Seth King novel. The writing was solid. It packed heart and had a simple to enjoy flow. Both characters had some pros and some cons as great characters should. The sex scenes were really hot, very intense, and definitely added so much to the story and created a true "paradise" for the pair. The storyline was overall a good/interesting concept and I totally enjoyed reading it. There are two things that kept me from going to a five star and I wanna express them and gently just say that this is MY OPINION and not meant to offend, just meant express my views. The first thing was some of the talk of tolerance felt more on the preachy side, like to the point it took away from the story when pushing the importance of tolerance and understanding and how society is changing and it's okay to be this and that. Don't get me wrong, some of that was definitely needed esp when certain plot point moments, but some of it was too much and over done and repetitive to a point. The other thing was a bit of the conversation between the pair, wasn't natural enough for me. It didn't always flow like a "normal" conversation would and at other times it felt too over the top with them trying to "bro out" in a way. Sometimes the conversation were perfect and romantic and friendly like friends, but there were many that had me shaking my head at the way it felt forced and fake. WITH THAT SAID, over all this book was definitely a great read. I would totally recommend it to anyone who likes what I mentioned above for it being a great read. This was my first Seth book, but I do not believe it will be my last.
January 12, 2018
There are voices that speak to you, to YOU. That feels familiar or maybe just ... so understandable.
And then there are books like this...
I cannot say I did not enjoy it but I cannot say I enjoyed it.
I stopped paying attention to who is speaking because it did not matter and I usually could not tell anyway. The criticism was over the top. This is not an article for Gay Weekly, in a book you are supposed to show, not tell and complaining how the world is stuck-up and full of haters just made them sound all primadonna, even more than all those philosophy stuff. It was like someone wanted to show how is society changing but sometimes not, towards the LGTB and instead of going with an article or some magazine with facts, statistics and trivia, wraps this in a story.
My biggest disappointment? My expectations. Again. Maybe I should just stop reading the blurbs =D. I wanted and was excited to see two normal straight guys, best friends, that wanted a vacation from their relationships/lifes/drama and on the trip decided to fool around. The surprise, the hesitation, the easygoing-ness. Just them and the beach. Instead, the two poor and mistreated guys were so obviously just coming out of closet and their own bullshit, cause obviously, they were in love and wanted to be in love all along. Bleh. I wanted exploration, lightness - curiosity, what I got was two repressed friends finally having reason to be together.
And that would be great, like I would be okay with it if I the blurb would just say so!
And then there are books like this...
I cannot say I did not enjoy it but I cannot say I enjoyed it.
I stopped paying attention to who is speaking because it did not matter and I usually could not tell anyway. The criticism was over the top. This is not an article for Gay Weekly, in a book you are supposed to show, not tell and complaining how the world is stuck-up and full of haters just made them sound all primadonna, even more than all those philosophy stuff. It was like someone wanted to show how is society changing but sometimes not, towards the LGTB and instead of going with an article or some magazine with facts, statistics and trivia, wraps this in a story.
My biggest disappointment? My expectations. Again. Maybe I should just stop reading the blurbs =D. I wanted and was excited to see two normal straight guys, best friends, that wanted a vacation from their relationships/lifes/drama and on the trip decided to fool around. The surprise, the hesitation, the easygoing-ness. Just them and the beach. Instead, the two poor and mistreated guys were so obviously just coming out of closet and their own bullshit, cause obviously, they were in love and wanted to be in love all along. Bleh. I wanted exploration, lightness - curiosity, what I got was two repressed friends finally having reason to be together.
And that would be great, like I would be okay with it if I the blurb would just say so!
January 22, 2018
OOOOOOhhhhhhhh i was sooo close to messaging the author with a seriously worded note about what he did near the end. Trust me it would have been very strongly worded!! luckily i turned a few pages and my exact words were "You fucker!" lol seriously!!!
I absolutely love these type of books. Straight friends gay for each other. I really enjoyed their relationship from the start. Best friends from a very young age they had pretty much shared their lives. This was great and i loved it even more when they got to know each other on a whole other level. There are certain things best friends will not say to each other especially men. Beau and Nathan get this next level and it makes for a beautiful love story.
The man loving was ahhhmaaazing but it wasn't just this, although it started that way. Their inner monologue was intriguing and i loved how their emotions were broken down.
I also found the book informative tbh there appears to have been a lot of research gone into the whole male friends with benefits/ gay for you relationships.
The end as stated above broke me a little, ok there were tears... but luckily i turned a few pages before i went psycho on the author :/ lol
This was my first read of Seth King, i have to say i thoroughly enjoyed it. There were maybe a few timeline issues but it did not affect my enjoyment of the book so i refuse to take any stars away.
Fab read and already started on my second book Straight.
I absolutely love these type of books. Straight friends gay for each other. I really enjoyed their relationship from the start. Best friends from a very young age they had pretty much shared their lives. This was great and i loved it even more when they got to know each other on a whole other level. There are certain things best friends will not say to each other especially men. Beau and Nathan get this next level and it makes for a beautiful love story.
The man loving was ahhhmaaazing but it wasn't just this, although it started that way. Their inner monologue was intriguing and i loved how their emotions were broken down.
I also found the book informative tbh there appears to have been a lot of research gone into the whole male friends with benefits/ gay for you relationships.
The end as stated above broke me a little, ok there were tears... but luckily i turned a few pages before i went psycho on the author :/ lol
This was my first read of Seth King, i have to say i thoroughly enjoyed it. There were maybe a few timeline issues but it did not affect my enjoyment of the book so i refuse to take any stars away.
Fab read and already started on my second book Straight.
October 16, 2017
Curious by Seth King is a M/M contemporary romance about two best friends agreeing to a week of fun to explore their curiosity.
Beau and Nathan were best friends since they were small kids. They have gone through everything together and are both dumped at the same time by their recent girlfriends. They are tired of their relationships not working out. On top of it all, they have to attend a wedding in Key West that neither of them wants to go to. While alone at the hotel they are staying at, they discuss the fact that relationships with women are too much drama and decide to take a chance and see what it would be like with one another.
I love Seth King's writing. I love that he is not afraid to be real when telling a story and is not concerned with it pleasing every single person. Instead he includes his person experiences which not only make the overall story better but I actually learn things.
Honestly, I think this is every persons perfect story. Who wouldn't want to fall in love with their best friend?
At one point in this book, I cursed Seth King and nearly threw my kindle at the wall. However, after I wiped my tears I continued to read and I calmed down. I recommend that readers do the same. His books are totally worth any tears.
Beau and Nathan were best friends since they were small kids. They have gone through everything together and are both dumped at the same time by their recent girlfriends. They are tired of their relationships not working out. On top of it all, they have to attend a wedding in Key West that neither of them wants to go to. While alone at the hotel they are staying at, they discuss the fact that relationships with women are too much drama and decide to take a chance and see what it would be like with one another.
I love Seth King's writing. I love that he is not afraid to be real when telling a story and is not concerned with it pleasing every single person. Instead he includes his person experiences which not only make the overall story better but I actually learn things.
Honestly, I think this is every persons perfect story. Who wouldn't want to fall in love with their best friend?
At one point in this book, I cursed Seth King and nearly threw my kindle at the wall. However, after I wiped my tears I continued to read and I calmed down. I recommend that readers do the same. His books are totally worth any tears.
October 12, 2017
Great
I've read several books by this author and they are usually powerful and I'm a soggy emotional wreck by the time I finish the book. This story of Nate and Beau was as usual a great story by Seth. Two best friends who grew up together both dumped by their girlfriends before a wedding they're a part of end up making a drunken pact to be there for each other sexually. I'm really invested in their story and it's going well & I was lulled into a false sense of security when he didn't make me cry early on. AND THEN came the scene in the bus after the wedding and the letters...ugh I was bawling and pissed. Actually saying out loud, "damn you, ugh I hate you Seth King!" I almost stopped reading after the last letter. I'm glad I didn't or I would have missed the ending and all is well, the book is awesome and I do not hate the author. It never fails that Seth will take you on an emotional rollercoaster...even if he sneaks it in near the end.
I've read several books by this author and they are usually powerful and I'm a soggy emotional wreck by the time I finish the book. This story of Nate and Beau was as usual a great story by Seth. Two best friends who grew up together both dumped by their girlfriends before a wedding they're a part of end up making a drunken pact to be there for each other sexually. I'm really invested in their story and it's going well & I was lulled into a false sense of security when he didn't make me cry early on. AND THEN came the scene in the bus after the wedding and the letters...ugh I was bawling and pissed. Actually saying out loud, "damn you, ugh I hate you Seth King!" I almost stopped reading after the last letter. I'm glad I didn't or I would have missed the ending and all is well, the book is awesome and I do not hate the author. It never fails that Seth will take you on an emotional rollercoaster...even if he sneaks it in near the end.
October 12, 2017
Friends, Lovers, Curious – in other words freaking hot, sexy and beautiful love story
If you’ve read any other book from Seth King you’ll definitely have to read this too! It’s everything! And if it’s your first of his books then you’ll love his other books too.
Curious is yet another beautiful and heartfelt story from Seth King. It's a little bit different than Seth’s others – as in so freaking hot and sexy – but just as amazing and beautiful written as his others.
Nathan is starting to feel less like Regular Nathan and more like... well, someone else. Someone new. Someone bright...
Curious is a story about Beau and Nathan. Two best friends who become more. Or rather are annoyed by all the woman and their drama – so they try to have fun and pleasure without them. And omg! This book is not just heartfelt and lovely but so H-O-T!!
I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you’ve read any other book from Seth King you’ll definitely have to read this too! It’s everything! And if it’s your first of his books then you’ll love his other books too.
Curious is yet another beautiful and heartfelt story from Seth King. It's a little bit different than Seth’s others – as in so freaking hot and sexy – but just as amazing and beautiful written as his others.
Nathan is starting to feel less like Regular Nathan and more like... well, someone else. Someone new. Someone bright...
Curious is a story about Beau and Nathan. Two best friends who become more. Or rather are annoyed by all the woman and their drama – so they try to have fun and pleasure without them. And omg! This book is not just heartfelt and lovely but so H-O-T!!
I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2019
Potential for more
So I'd give this 3 or 3.5. There's definitely potential for the writing to get better. Some of the dialogue was awkward, especially during the steamy scenes. Like they would suddenly start having a conversation in the middle of it. But my least favorite part was how they acted like it was 1950. I mean I totally get that gay people face prejudice and it sucks. But I also see plenty of gay couple walking around holding hands and loving each other I'm public and not enduring hate because of it. I don't understand why they couldn't hold hands or come out to even their families and friends. It didn't seem to follow the current societal norms is all. But like I said, I liked it enough to try reading another of his novels and I'm hoping they continue to get better.
So I'd give this 3 or 3.5. There's definitely potential for the writing to get better. Some of the dialogue was awkward, especially during the steamy scenes. Like they would suddenly start having a conversation in the middle of it. But my least favorite part was how they acted like it was 1950. I mean I totally get that gay people face prejudice and it sucks. But I also see plenty of gay couple walking around holding hands and loving each other I'm public and not enduring hate because of it. I don't understand why they couldn't hold hands or come out to even their families and friends. It didn't seem to follow the current societal norms is all. But like I said, I liked it enough to try reading another of his novels and I'm hoping they continue to get better.
October 16, 2017
Loved it! Best friends who turned one curious night into a week of sexual exploration with each other then made a decision if the sexual fulfillment they'd discovered together was worth taking a chance on a lasting relationship without fear of ruining their lifelong friendship. It was a sweet story. I loved the MCs. Their friendship was strong and lifelong with a curious desire to become more. They were so hot together, sensual, strong and vocal about their desires. Both MCs were afraid of their feelings and of what friends and family might say but together they Beau and Nate had to decide if they felt pursuing their new founded love and desire was worth the risk. It was a beautifully well written story.
October 19, 2017
I didn't love this book, but I did enjoy it. It is a bit long, but the pace keeps moving quickly. I think what I didn't love about the book was how it kept being repeated about different relationships not being widely accepted and the homo slurs by the one character. I had to check once to see what time frame this was written in, because I felt it was set in an earlier time period.
I can't say I have personally had to deal with any of these issues, and I live in a different country, so maybe that is just my experiences shading my opinion. I do have to say there was quite the WTF moment there for a bit around 90% that really had me hating the story, but it turned around again thankfully.
I can't say I have personally had to deal with any of these issues, and I live in a different country, so maybe that is just my experiences shading my opinion. I do have to say there was quite the WTF moment there for a bit around 90% that really had me hating the story, but it turned around again thankfully.
September 11, 2018
I read this book after reading Seth's first two MM romance novels, "Straight" and "Straight-ish". This was an intriguing best friends to lovers tale, highlighting the changes that are taking place in today's dating universe thanks to the expanding presence of technology in the process. As with most romance novels, there are levels of angst in parts that make you want to reach into the pages and give the character's a shake - no matter how lovable they are. But Nate's periodic "journal entries" do lend some background and perspective to what's going on in a very touching way. Also, there is a dream sequence towards the end that is like a tear-jerker faux "ending". But fortunately it's just a dream. Thanks again, Seth King, for another foray into the MSM and gay-for-you world.
December 7, 2017
Incredible!
What an incredibly raw and emotional book. Seth King has quickly become one of my go to authors when it comes to an amazing read. Based on a true story this book reveals the struggles we face within today's society with homosexuality and the fears couples face of being ridiculed. Best Friends since childhood Nathan and Beau find their mutual attraction for each other in adulthood quite eye opening and life changing. The love they share for each other is so pure its beyond beautiful. 2 best friends, one vacation, 2 life's changed forever. Read it and weep. I loved every second of this book.
What an incredibly raw and emotional book. Seth King has quickly become one of my go to authors when it comes to an amazing read. Based on a true story this book reveals the struggles we face within today's society with homosexuality and the fears couples face of being ridiculed. Best Friends since childhood Nathan and Beau find their mutual attraction for each other in adulthood quite eye opening and life changing. The love they share for each other is so pure its beyond beautiful. 2 best friends, one vacation, 2 life's changed forever. Read it and weep. I loved every second of this book.
December 8, 2018
Very rushed and I am sure I missed a huge chunk
I didn't like the speed with which they became lovers. There was practically no hesitation. I also did not enjoy the constant switching of POVs and I felt like I was reading about teenage girls most of the time.
Also, did I miss a huge chunk of the book? What was the point of the prologue? I never found out who walked in on them! Either I fell asleep during that part (entirely possible) or we just don't find out the conclusion to it, which is very frustrating!!
I got confused sometimes e.g. B cums on N's back and while he is, N is playing with B's nipples and kissing B's waist - I don't understand how???
I didn't like the speed with which they became lovers. There was practically no hesitation. I also did not enjoy the constant switching of POVs and I felt like I was reading about teenage girls most of the time.
Also, did I miss a huge chunk of the book? What was the point of the prologue? I never found out who walked in on them! Either I fell asleep during that part (entirely possible) or we just don't find out the conclusion to it, which is very frustrating!!
I got confused sometimes e.g. B cums on N's back and while he is, N is playing with B's nipples and kissing B's waist - I don't understand how???
October 10, 2017
Finding a forever kind of love
To say this is a gay romance is like saying The Last Supper is graffiti. You cannot put a label on this story, because this isn't a gay romance... it is a forever romance. The kind of love that you find when you stop looking. The kind you don't realize is there until you might lose it. The kind that takes your breath away, every day. The kind we all wish we could find, or realize we threw away.
May you find your romance and never sing alone again.
To say this is a gay romance is like saying The Last Supper is graffiti. You cannot put a label on this story, because this isn't a gay romance... it is a forever romance. The kind of love that you find when you stop looking. The kind you don't realize is there until you might lose it. The kind that takes your breath away, every day. The kind we all wish we could find, or realize we threw away.
May you find your romance and never sing alone again.
October 10, 2017
Amazing
There are no words to fully explain this story. I've been following the author for a bit and finally decided to read one of his books. I went in thinking this would be like any other M/M stories, but it's not, it's so much better. There is one part that had tears in my eyes and I almost had a heart attack, but it is so gratifying to have those deep feelings twist up inside of me just because of someone else's words. Bravo, Seth. I'm so happy I found this author and took a chance on this book.
There are no words to fully explain this story. I've been following the author for a bit and finally decided to read one of his books. I went in thinking this would be like any other M/M stories, but it's not, it's so much better. There is one part that had tears in my eyes and I almost had a heart attack, but it is so gratifying to have those deep feelings twist up inside of me just because of someone else's words. Bravo, Seth. I'm so happy I found this author and took a chance on this book.
October 11, 2017
Fear is not an excuse
This love story was amazingly written. With the turn of each page brought tears and laughter. I could not stop once I started this book. With every page I would hold my breath thinking my heart would stop. Seth King you Sir have a truly amazing gift. And you have brought this story to life in such away that the love that Natie and Beau have can be plucked from the pages and felt in every way. So if it's true love you seek then click this book, it will melt your heart. It did mine
This love story was amazingly written. With the turn of each page brought tears and laughter. I could not stop once I started this book. With every page I would hold my breath thinking my heart would stop. Seth King you Sir have a truly amazing gift. And you have brought this story to life in such away that the love that Natie and Beau have can be plucked from the pages and felt in every way. So if it's true love you seek then click this book, it will melt your heart. It did mine
October 13, 2017
I'm hooked on friends to lovers stories but this one was undeniably sexy with my heart on edge waiting for the week to end. What starts off as a curious, week long hookup ends up involving those pesky feelings. How could best friends not feel more for one another? Truly best friends already have at least a platonic love as a basis for their bestiness. Adding the intimacy of sex and all of those endorphins....well, it just makes me curious. Loved Beau and Nathan. Their friendship since childhood was inspiring and sweet.
October 15, 2017
Can friends transition into lovers
Two Southern men Beau and Nathan find themselves on a island beach trying to get over a broken heart. Nathan an Beau have been best friends since Kindergarten. Can two men overcome years of upbringing that homosexuality will Damn Thier souls? Are they strong enough to love and be loved . Damn the world around them . Can they stay true to the passion they find in each other's embrace? Some hot sexy scenes and bubbly emotions. Take a chance with Beau and Nathan watch and see if Thier love survives ...
Two Southern men Beau and Nathan find themselves on a island beach trying to get over a broken heart. Nathan an Beau have been best friends since Kindergarten. Can two men overcome years of upbringing that homosexuality will Damn Thier souls? Are they strong enough to love and be loved . Damn the world around them . Can they stay true to the passion they find in each other's embrace? Some hot sexy scenes and bubbly emotions. Take a chance with Beau and Nathan watch and see if Thier love survives ...
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