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Something About Him #1
Bryan & Jase
Jase Rafferty a grandi en cachant ses penchants sexuels – jusqu’à ce qu’il rencontre Bryan Keating. La sexualité de Bryan n’est pas un secret, et être déployés à l’étranger permet aux deux hommes de se forger une solide amitié. L’attirance sexuelle est indéniable, mais après une semaine remplie de luxure, ils doivent se séparer.
Un an plus tard, une rencontre fortuite leur offre un week-end de plus, même s’ils savent que Jase ne peut pas risquer sa carrière militaire ou ses obligations familiales pour être avec Bryan.
Plusieurs années s’écoulent avant que Jase accepte finalement le désir désespéré de son cœur et de son corps. Mais lorsque la peur et la haine menacent de les séparer, Jase doit prendre une décision difficile qu’il n’est pas certain que Bryan et lui pourront surmonter. Ensemble, ils doivent choisir de résister à la tempête ou se dire adieu pour toujours.
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2016
90 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
A.D. Ellis
92 books741 followersEscape into addictive, sexy, emotional queer M/M romance.
A.D. Ellis is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana as an instructional coach/teacher in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing teens, and wondering how she and her husband of over two decades haven't driven each other insane yet. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.
She loves chocolate, hot tea, sweet wine with friends, pizza, and naps along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.
A.D. uses she/they pronouns.
Sign up at http://www.subscribepage.com/ADEllisN... for a FREE male/male romance book.
A.D. Ellis does not use generative AI to create books or covers.
A.D. Ellis is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana as an instructional coach/teacher in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing teens, and wondering how she and her husband of over two decades haven't driven each other insane yet. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.
She loves chocolate, hot tea, sweet wine with friends, pizza, and naps along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.
A.D. uses she/they pronouns.
Sign up at http://www.subscribepage.com/ADEllisN... for a FREE male/male romance book.
A.D. Ellis does not use generative AI to create books or covers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
May 1, 2016
3.25 stars
There's nothing that frustrates me and infuriates me more than a book that starts off great to the point you know this will be a very good story, only to take a turn for the worse in the last 25%. I'm not saying the "characters being stubborn or stupidly get shot" kind of worse; I've never had a bigger WTF moment than I've experienced in this book.
Jase Rafferty and Bryan Keating have served in the militarily together, they've been best friends and brothers, and eventually found their way in bed together in what ended up being the hottest week of their lives. There are many things that stand in their way to happiness, like the fact that Jase is a straight guy who likes to experience with men from time to time (Jase, you IDIOT, that's called being BI!!!). Jase's sham of a marriage is about to end, but Bryan dropping out of the military while Jase pursues a career makes it impossible for them to explore their new-found chemistry.
Fast-forward 2 years and the guys come face to face again at the wedding of an army friend, only to Bryan's shock, Jase is still married to his cheating, no-good wife and they have a three month old baby boy. Let me tell you I simply loved Jase as a father, he was sweet as hell, competent and dedicated 100% to Gray. Is there anything that sets our ovaries on fire faster than a hot man with a baby? If there is I can't think of any.
Jase and Bryan reconnect briefly during the wedding week-end but they know there's no future for them regardless of how much they both want it. Jase's wife is aware of the sexual relationship between Jase and Bryan and she uses it to keep Jase under control. Jase's parents are highly homophobic and telling them the truth about Bryan would mean losing their support, and their support is the only thing that keeps him going since he's pretty much a single parent.
Fast forward 5 years and Jace is determined to find Bryan and try to build the relationship he's always dreamed of. There are many AWWW moments as Bryan connects with Gray and tries his hand at parenting; there are sad moments when innocent 6 year old gray learns about how cold, judgmental and unforgiving this world can be; and there are blow-your-brains-through-the-top-of-your-head angry moments like when Jase's homophobic father opens his mouth to unleash true evil and when his threats to take away Gray away unless Jase repents himself of his sinful lifestyle work. Yep, you got that right, Jase packed his shit and left with Gray and his parents.
This fuckery right here wasn't only unbelievable, it was downright infuriating because Jase is a 30 year old man, not a clueless teenager. He had all the support he needed in Bryan, and quite honestly, if my father talked about the person I loved like Jase's father did, I would've kicked him out of my fucking house and told him to stay the hell away if he can't be a decent human being. How stupid do you have to be to believe someone can take your child away from you just because you are gay, and give into their threats without fighting back? This whole drama dropped my rating from 4.5 stars to somewhere around 3 stars. I was so mad at that point, the only thing that saved this book was the very stiff drink I got myself and the fact that Jase as a father was so amazing. And he did come through at the end but in my opinion it was too little too late.
That being said, until the last few chapters this was a very good book. The author mentioned in the introduction that Braeton will possibly get his own book. At this point I need Braeton to get his own story because I loved that guy to pieces. The next 2 books in this series are Nick & Brody and Barrett & Ivan whom I have no clue who they are. They might've been mentioned in Bryan and Jase: The Beginning but I haven't read that so I'm not sure. I'm still looking forward to their story and I intend to read the rest of the books in this series.
There's nothing that frustrates me and infuriates me more than a book that starts off great to the point you know this will be a very good story, only to take a turn for the worse in the last 25%. I'm not saying the "characters being stubborn or stupidly get shot" kind of worse; I've never had a bigger WTF moment than I've experienced in this book.
Jase Rafferty and Bryan Keating have served in the militarily together, they've been best friends and brothers, and eventually found their way in bed together in what ended up being the hottest week of their lives. There are many things that stand in their way to happiness, like the fact that Jase is a straight guy who likes to experience with men from time to time (Jase, you IDIOT, that's called being BI!!!). Jase's sham of a marriage is about to end, but Bryan dropping out of the military while Jase pursues a career makes it impossible for them to explore their new-found chemistry.
Fast-forward 2 years and the guys come face to face again at the wedding of an army friend, only to Bryan's shock, Jase is still married to his cheating, no-good wife and they have a three month old baby boy. Let me tell you I simply loved Jase as a father, he was sweet as hell, competent and dedicated 100% to Gray. Is there anything that sets our ovaries on fire faster than a hot man with a baby? If there is I can't think of any.
Jase and Bryan reconnect briefly during the wedding week-end but they know there's no future for them regardless of how much they both want it. Jase's wife is aware of the sexual relationship between Jase and Bryan and she uses it to keep Jase under control. Jase's parents are highly homophobic and telling them the truth about Bryan would mean losing their support, and their support is the only thing that keeps him going since he's pretty much a single parent.
Fast forward 5 years and Jace is determined to find Bryan and try to build the relationship he's always dreamed of. There are many AWWW moments as Bryan connects with Gray and tries his hand at parenting; there are sad moments when innocent 6 year old gray learns about how cold, judgmental and unforgiving this world can be; and there are blow-your-brains-through-the-top-of-your-head angry moments like when Jase's homophobic father opens his mouth to unleash true evil and when his threats to take away Gray away unless Jase repents himself of his sinful lifestyle work. Yep, you got that right, Jase packed his shit and left with Gray and his parents.
This fuckery right here wasn't only unbelievable, it was downright infuriating because Jase is a 30 year old man, not a clueless teenager. He had all the support he needed in Bryan, and quite honestly, if my father talked about the person I loved like Jase's father did, I would've kicked him out of my fucking house and told him to stay the hell away if he can't be a decent human being. How stupid do you have to be to believe someone can take your child away from you just because you are gay, and give into their threats without fighting back? This whole drama dropped my rating from 4.5 stars to somewhere around 3 stars. I was so mad at that point, the only thing that saved this book was the very stiff drink I got myself and the fact that Jase as a father was so amazing. And he did come through at the end but in my opinion it was too little too late.
That being said, until the last few chapters this was a very good book. The author mentioned in the introduction that Braeton will possibly get his own book. At this point I need Braeton to get his own story because I loved that guy to pieces. The next 2 books in this series are Nick & Brody and Barrett & Ivan whom I have no clue who they are. They might've been mentioned in Bryan and Jase: The Beginning but I haven't read that so I'm not sure. I'm still looking forward to their story and I intend to read the rest of the books in this series.
January 4, 2017
Awful. Stereotypically horrendous women, men who continuously claim to be straight, shoddy writing, the list goes on. All around terrible.
Want to read
November 2, 2019🎁 Books 1-3 in the series are FREE on Amazon today (11/2/2019)! 🎁
May 5, 2016
OK First off I liked the story but I was so mad at some of the characters in this one. Jase's family drove me crazy and I couldn't understand why he didn't stick up for himself and Bryan. After I try to get over that , I liked that this story spanned some years. They met and hook up in the military for about a week before they go home where they lose touch. 2 years later they meet up again and get together for about another week. Jase is married and has a son which affects his decisions which I can understand. He wife leaves finally and when you read this story you will cheer that statement too. He decides to leave his home and take his son to find Bryan. At this point it is about 5 years later. Bryan has never forgotten about Jase and when they were together they talked about going to a convention so of course that is where they find each other again. Now Jase and Bryan are together, raising his son and being a happy little family until Jase's parents show. They find out about Bryan and hell breaks loose. This is where I go crazy, instead of Jase telling them to go jump, he leaves Bryan and goes home with his parents. I am leaving some drama out and once you read this it will make more sense. Bryan is heartbroken but he feels Jase has to put his son first and cant take the chance that his parents will try to take Gray away from them. Now they do get their HEA but I was so disappointed in Jase at the end. This story definitely had me turning the pages to see what happens next so I have it a 4 but would have been a 5 star read if not for the horible parents.
Received an arc for an honest review. Reviewed for Alpha Book Club.
Received an arc for an honest review. Reviewed for Alpha Book Club.
July 13, 2018
Voto: 4+
Adoro le storie M/M romance con figli e questa mi è piaciuta parecchio nel complesso, anche se alcuni comportamenti di Jase mi hanno lasciata perplessa. Jase, infatti, passa metà vita a farsi manipolare, senza prendersi la briga di conoscere quali siano i suoi effettivi diritti, ed è una cosa che non ho digerito.
Dall’introduzione dell’autrice, si capisce che questo romanzo è tratto da una storia vera, anche se – giustamente – non ci è dato sapere quanto ci sia di reale e quanto sia romanzato dentro la trama, ma se davvero è successo, povero Jase!
Ad ogni modo, la sua storia con Bryan è dolce e tenera, sopravvive a un sacco di tempeste ed è l’emblema dell’amore che trionfa, perché sono destinati a stare assieme malgrado tutto sia contro di loro.
Il piccolo Gray è dolcissimo, dal primo sorriso sdentato a ogni scena in cui appare. È un bambino splendido e ti fa venire voglia di coccolarlo.
Bryan è un buon personaggio, non perfetto, ma abbastanza credibile.
Come spesso accade, le donne hanno un ruolo negativo e la cosa non mi ha entusiasmato, ma oltre a personaggi ostili, abbiamo delle comparse positive che credo conosceremo meglio nei prossimi volumi. Se amate le storie con figli, ve lo consiglio.
Adoro le storie M/M romance con figli e questa mi è piaciuta parecchio nel complesso, anche se alcuni comportamenti di Jase mi hanno lasciata perplessa. Jase, infatti, passa metà vita a farsi manipolare, senza prendersi la briga di conoscere quali siano i suoi effettivi diritti, ed è una cosa che non ho digerito.
Dall’introduzione dell’autrice, si capisce che questo romanzo è tratto da una storia vera, anche se – giustamente – non ci è dato sapere quanto ci sia di reale e quanto sia romanzato dentro la trama, ma se davvero è successo, povero Jase!
Ad ogni modo, la sua storia con Bryan è dolce e tenera, sopravvive a un sacco di tempeste ed è l’emblema dell’amore che trionfa, perché sono destinati a stare assieme malgrado tutto sia contro di loro.
Il piccolo Gray è dolcissimo, dal primo sorriso sdentato a ogni scena in cui appare. È un bambino splendido e ti fa venire voglia di coccolarlo.
Bryan è un buon personaggio, non perfetto, ma abbastanza credibile.
Come spesso accade, le donne hanno un ruolo negativo e la cosa non mi ha entusiasmato, ma oltre a personaggi ostili, abbiamo delle comparse positive che credo conosceremo meglio nei prossimi volumi. Se amate le storie con figli, ve lo consiglio.
October 14, 2021
I really try with this author’s books but they’re just awful. Well, lately they have improved a little but not by much. This one is terrible. A grown up man who’s attracted to a guy and has sex with him still affirms that he’s not gay. He has a good job and he still fears his parents . He goes back to a crazy wife because of course , why wouldn’t he since he’s not gay and then he tells the other dude that he is only gay for him although he admitted that he had fooled around with guys in high-school. His father storms in his house and just like that takes away his child and he follows his father like a puppy. OMG , South-American telenovela and a total eye roll fest. And all those “man” inserted at the end of every sentence “Yeah man” “Of course man” etc I hate that kind of speech. And the other MC drooling and pining after that wreck of a man .. Awful book and poorly written..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2019
piacevole romanzo ma con qualche elemento poco verosimile,carino
April 28, 2016
A.D. Ellis is a writer who focuses on emotion more than anything else. Every thing a character does or says is truly felt. As a reader it is one of my most favorite things. A kiss is never just a kiss, it's mind, body, and soul and that comes across in her work.
Bryan & Jase is a tale that spans over time. A lust-filled week and then they are parted. Only to come together again a year later. And though you're all excited they are together again there's so much holding them back from that happily ever after.
They are so opposite in so many ways. Jase hides his sexuality where Bryan embraces it. That in itself is always a huge hurdle to get over. This story really pushes the whole "Live for yourself not for others" I love that.
There's a truly gorgeous story here and A.D. Ellis links her characters to you so well you feel their feels LOL.
I highly recommend you get your hands on this book!
Bryan & Jase is a tale that spans over time. A lust-filled week and then they are parted. Only to come together again a year later. And though you're all excited they are together again there's so much holding them back from that happily ever after.
They are so opposite in so many ways. Jase hides his sexuality where Bryan embraces it. That in itself is always a huge hurdle to get over. This story really pushes the whole "Live for yourself not for others" I love that.
There's a truly gorgeous story here and A.D. Ellis links her characters to you so well you feel their feels LOL.
I highly recommend you get your hands on this book!
April 15, 2017
I liked this for the most part. Bryan and Jase were best friends in the military and had one spectacular week towards the end of Bryans career then they went their separate ways. They lose contact for a while because Jase lets his parents and ex wife control his life. When Jase finally leaves the military and is away from his toxic wife, he takes his son to Indiana, where he knows Bryans been living.
They miraculously find Bryan at a gaming convention, and life finally seems to be going their way. Until Jase's parents drop in an threaten to take the son away b/c he's gay. This is where it gets a little ridiculous. Instead of calling the cops and having his parents escorted from the apt, he agrees to go with them. Thankfully he's got a plan and manages to get back to Bryan, but not without a almost 3 week separation with no contact.
This was a decent read and it did have a sweet HEA. It is best to read the prequel first.
They miraculously find Bryan at a gaming convention, and life finally seems to be going their way. Until Jase's parents drop in an threaten to take the son away b/c he's gay. This is where it gets a little ridiculous. Instead of calling the cops and having his parents escorted from the apt, he agrees to go with them. Thankfully he's got a plan and manages to get back to Bryan, but not without a almost 3 week separation with no contact.
This was a decent read and it did have a sweet HEA. It is best to read the prequel first.
February 20, 2017
I just loved this story. It spanned over many years and took Bryan and Jase along time to find the happiness they deserved. I absolutely fell in love with Jase's son Gray and his sweet honesty. Frank was an absolutely horrible person and I think in the end things tied up a little too easily, but I didn't care I was ready for a happy ending. Braeton was such a great guy. I'd love to read his story.
January 20, 2017
42% could not finish. Immature MCs
May 5, 2016
Title: Bryan & Jase
Author: A. D. Ellis
Series: Something About Him
Publisher: A. D. Ellis Publishing
Reviewer: Barb
Release Date: April 28, 2016
Genre(s): M/M Romance, Second Chances, Military, Single Parent, Extreme Homophobia
Page Count: 364
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Review:
*****5 Sweet Second Second Chances Stars*****
There was so much I loved about Bryan & Jase’s second chances love story! Where to start? Bryan and Jase meet in the military, Bryan is out and proud, but Jase, although curious, is married. They experience a steamy weekend before going their separate ways, Jase facing a divorce from his cheating wife. A year later they meet up at a buddy's wedding, Jase is still with his wife and has a 3 month old baby, Grayson. This is where I really fell in love with the story! Bryan and Jase rekindle their sexual attraction and there are a few scorching scenes! Bryan adores little Grayson and his feelings for Jase get more intense. Once again, they go their separate ways. Several years later, Jase, whose wife has no interest in her son, realizes he wants Bryan and makes a huge decision to uproot himself and Grayson and move closer to Bryan. Their chance meeting in the middle of a huge gaming convention is EPIC. Bryan and Jase begin their lives together with Grayson and Ms. Ellis writes a sweet, wonderful HEA. You need to read this wonderful story to get the rest! I will use a couple quotes I absolutely loved, though.
A discussion between Bryan and a friend:
“Why settle for just being Blow Job Queen of Texas one year? Let’s take that talented mouth of yours to the country, hell, the whole world! We’ll get a bus, paint it like a big dick, and drive from state to state offering world class blow jobs. Well, you can suck ‘em, I’ll just collect the moola. You’ll be the most sought after cock sucker in the world.”
*********
When Grayson gets into a fight when another boy makes fun of him having two dads, Bryan steps in and answers Grayson’s many questions while Jase silently hides listening in.
Afterwards Jase and Bryan discuss it in bed:
“Bryan bit down on a nipple making me flinch in pain. “That’s for letting me do your Daddy job,” he smiled at me. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll be sure to take on the wet dream and boner talks in a couple years. How about we both sit in on the safe sex talk?” I dreaded my boy growing up, but I was so ready to take it on with Bryan by my side.
**********
After Jase’s dad finds out about them and forces Jase and Grayson to leave their home with Bryan:
“I miss him already. I miss my room there. I miss Juanita, and I miss your smile for him.”“Hey, I’ve still got a smile because I still have you.” I never wanted my son to think he wasn’t enough to make me happy. “I know, but your smile for Bryan was special in a different way than your special smile for me.”
Run and pick up this beautiful second chances story and fall in love with Bryan, Jase and Grayson!
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Barb from Alpha Book Club
Author: A. D. Ellis
Series: Something About Him
Publisher: A. D. Ellis Publishing
Reviewer: Barb
Release Date: April 28, 2016
Genre(s): M/M Romance, Second Chances, Military, Single Parent, Extreme Homophobia
Page Count: 364
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Review:
*****5 Sweet Second Second Chances Stars*****
There was so much I loved about Bryan & Jase’s second chances love story! Where to start? Bryan and Jase meet in the military, Bryan is out and proud, but Jase, although curious, is married. They experience a steamy weekend before going their separate ways, Jase facing a divorce from his cheating wife. A year later they meet up at a buddy's wedding, Jase is still with his wife and has a 3 month old baby, Grayson. This is where I really fell in love with the story! Bryan and Jase rekindle their sexual attraction and there are a few scorching scenes! Bryan adores little Grayson and his feelings for Jase get more intense. Once again, they go their separate ways. Several years later, Jase, whose wife has no interest in her son, realizes he wants Bryan and makes a huge decision to uproot himself and Grayson and move closer to Bryan. Their chance meeting in the middle of a huge gaming convention is EPIC. Bryan and Jase begin their lives together with Grayson and Ms. Ellis writes a sweet, wonderful HEA. You need to read this wonderful story to get the rest! I will use a couple quotes I absolutely loved, though.
A discussion between Bryan and a friend:
“Why settle for just being Blow Job Queen of Texas one year? Let’s take that talented mouth of yours to the country, hell, the whole world! We’ll get a bus, paint it like a big dick, and drive from state to state offering world class blow jobs. Well, you can suck ‘em, I’ll just collect the moola. You’ll be the most sought after cock sucker in the world.”
*********
When Grayson gets into a fight when another boy makes fun of him having two dads, Bryan steps in and answers Grayson’s many questions while Jase silently hides listening in.
Afterwards Jase and Bryan discuss it in bed:
“Bryan bit down on a nipple making me flinch in pain. “That’s for letting me do your Daddy job,” he smiled at me. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll be sure to take on the wet dream and boner talks in a couple years. How about we both sit in on the safe sex talk?” I dreaded my boy growing up, but I was so ready to take it on with Bryan by my side.
**********
After Jase’s dad finds out about them and forces Jase and Grayson to leave their home with Bryan:
“I miss him already. I miss my room there. I miss Juanita, and I miss your smile for him.”“Hey, I’ve still got a smile because I still have you.” I never wanted my son to think he wasn’t enough to make me happy. “I know, but your smile for Bryan was special in a different way than your special smile for me.”
Run and pick up this beautiful second chances story and fall in love with Bryan, Jase and Grayson!
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed by Barb from Alpha Book Club
Read
November 1, 2021This book has been revised and polished. I fell in love all over again re-reading Bryan and Jase's story.
May 27, 2016
Two and half stars. The book opens with a note from the author urging you to read her free short story that is a pre-equal to this novel, which I found weird. If the story is that vital, why not just stick it in the book, or better yet, write your novel so you don't need to have read the short story first? So I read the short story, which on the whole was better than the book. I like the characters in that story and it held my interest, although it devolved into a bunch of summarizing and the final paragraph read like a pitch for a followup novel.
Now I was finely ready to read the novel. It started off OK, but it didn't take long for the book to loose its way. The novel is told through the alternating first person narrators of Bryan and Jase. I could not tell them apart and couldn't remember from moment to moment whose perspective I was in. Worse, they were both wildly inconsistent characters that just ended up being a generic mashup of gay stereotypes (both love the word "fabulous") and tough guy verbal ticks. It also used my least favorite trope, the over-the-top bitch wife who makes poor, poor Jase's existence miserable. Jase, who is in the closet and married her as a cover, of course gets a pass for his part in the sham of a marriage.
Jase is a thoroughly despicable character, although we are meant to feel sorry for him. He is a coward, afraid of loosing his family's financial assistance so he remains in the closet. He makes one terrible decisions after another, with the final chapters so bad, it's like he inhabits some alternative universe. Meanwhile, Bryan is a doormat, willing to let Jase call all the shots while he awaits his pleasure, which is so sad, because in the shot story he was actually a feisty, charming guy.
I found the book dull. There is a lot of time skipping, no relationship drama and the sex scenes are a snore. I found nothing about the trajectory of their love story remotely plausible or vaguely interesting. On the plus side, the writing is fine and their aren't any editing issues. The book reads very fast, especially when I started skimming half way through. The closing drama was so ridiculous, I had a hard time even skimming it and almost gave up then and there but managed to get through to the rushed ending, which wasn't really an ending at all.
Now I was finely ready to read the novel. It started off OK, but it didn't take long for the book to loose its way. The novel is told through the alternating first person narrators of Bryan and Jase. I could not tell them apart and couldn't remember from moment to moment whose perspective I was in. Worse, they were both wildly inconsistent characters that just ended up being a generic mashup of gay stereotypes (both love the word "fabulous") and tough guy verbal ticks. It also used my least favorite trope, the over-the-top bitch wife who makes poor, poor Jase's existence miserable. Jase, who is in the closet and married her as a cover, of course gets a pass for his part in the sham of a marriage.
Jase is a thoroughly despicable character, although we are meant to feel sorry for him. He is a coward, afraid of loosing his family's financial assistance so he remains in the closet. He makes one terrible decisions after another, with the final chapters so bad, it's like he inhabits some alternative universe. Meanwhile, Bryan is a doormat, willing to let Jase call all the shots while he awaits his pleasure, which is so sad, because in the shot story he was actually a feisty, charming guy.
I found the book dull. There is a lot of time skipping, no relationship drama and the sex scenes are a snore. I found nothing about the trajectory of their love story remotely plausible or vaguely interesting. On the plus side, the writing is fine and their aren't any editing issues. The book reads very fast, especially when I started skimming half way through. The closing drama was so ridiculous, I had a hard time even skimming it and almost gave up then and there but managed to get through to the rushed ending, which wasn't really an ending at all.
May 10, 2016
I’m finding I’m not a big fan of stories with someone in the closet. I just don’t understand why people won’t stand up to parents or whoever is giving them crap about their sexuality. I was pissed at Jase for caving to his wife when he and Bryan were on leave. And I understand he was scared to lose his kid but he should have stood up to his dad years ago…not when he was forced to. I did love Bryan and Jase together when all the other crap didn’t get in the way. Bryan was a saint to wait for Jase like he did. Jase was a great dad and Bryan was amazing with Gray. I loved the ending…although I would have liked to see something else happen too so I hope it does in a future book.
There is one paragraph from the book that sums up this story nicely but it’s a bit spoiler-ish so I’m hiding it…
Braeton was a good character and I understand he’s getting a story which I’d definitely be interested in reading.
There is one paragraph from the book that sums up this story nicely but it’s a bit spoiler-ish so I’m hiding it…
Braeton was a good character and I understand he’s getting a story which I’d definitely be interested in reading.
June 7, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.75 stars
This book opens with the author inviting readers to read her free short story before reading this book. So I did. In it we meet Bryan and Jase before Jase heads back to civilian life leaving Bryan behind. I will admit, after reading the short story, I was eager to read the book. My personal opinion is that the short story should have been included (at least partially) in this book because without it, readers are going to be less sympathetic to the two main characters without knowing the backstory.
The story is told in both Jase’s and Bryan’s POV. The story covers an extended period of time and has several time changes, all of which are noted for readers at the start of the chapters.
Jase thinks of himself as straight, though he has attraction to men…ok, he’s bisexual, but he won’t admit it to himself. Growing up in a religious community/household, it was understandable why he tries hard to suppress these feelings. He joins the military, meets Bryan, and the two become best friends. Just before Jase is to head home to his cheating wife, Jase and Bryan spend a week together (which is the prequel book). Basically that is the plot of this book. Jase is struggling with his sexuality. He doesn’t want to admit he’s bisexual. He’s afraid he will lose his child. He’s afraid of how this will reflect on his child. He’s afraid to lose the love and support of his parents. He’s afraid that he will lose his best friend/lover unless he accepts his sexuality. So while the story is told in both POVs, it is really Jase’s story about coming out and coming to terms with who he is.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
3.75 stars
This book opens with the author inviting readers to read her free short story before reading this book. So I did. In it we meet Bryan and Jase before Jase heads back to civilian life leaving Bryan behind. I will admit, after reading the short story, I was eager to read the book. My personal opinion is that the short story should have been included (at least partially) in this book because without it, readers are going to be less sympathetic to the two main characters without knowing the backstory.
The story is told in both Jase’s and Bryan’s POV. The story covers an extended period of time and has several time changes, all of which are noted for readers at the start of the chapters.
Jase thinks of himself as straight, though he has attraction to men…ok, he’s bisexual, but he won’t admit it to himself. Growing up in a religious community/household, it was understandable why he tries hard to suppress these feelings. He joins the military, meets Bryan, and the two become best friends. Just before Jase is to head home to his cheating wife, Jase and Bryan spend a week together (which is the prequel book). Basically that is the plot of this book. Jase is struggling with his sexuality. He doesn’t want to admit he’s bisexual. He’s afraid he will lose his child. He’s afraid of how this will reflect on his child. He’s afraid to lose the love and support of his parents. He’s afraid that he will lose his best friend/lover unless he accepts his sexuality. So while the story is told in both POVs, it is really Jase’s story about coming out and coming to terms with who he is.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
May 20, 2018
A un piccolo gigante di nome Grayson
✔ Letto! Cosa può fare la paura nella vita di una persona? Può condizionarla interamente. Può renderla vittima, aguzzino e succube di sé stessa. Può farti morire ogni giorno in piccole dosi di veleno. Che cosa puoi fare per la paura che provi? Se sei uno come Jase, ti arrampichi sugli specchi, trovi un po' di antidoto al veleno quotidiano, vive nella bugia più profonda che esiste, si trasforma in qualcuno che non sei.
Ho letto la storia breve tra Bryan e Jase, già lì lui era condizionato della paura, sopportava una moglie cattiva, bugiarda, ricattatrice, manipolatrice ed egoista pur di mantenere una facciata di mer🤬.Sopportava le corne pur che li facessi sembrare etero. 😩😝
La Paura era l'arma più potente che il soldato Jase portava con sé. Paura di essere sé stesso.
Cosa fa un uomo innamorato, gay e fiero di esserlo? Rispetta la paura dell'altro, gli concede tutto il tempo necessario di cui l'altro sembra aver bisogno, si concede. Vittima anche lui della passione che prova per l'altro in attimi rubati dove cerca di ricavarne il massimo. Sa essere amico quando l'altro necessita, ascolta e aspetta, andando avanti con la sua vita, ma nessuno può essere Jase e continuava a paragonare ogni uomo a lui. Ama quello uomo ma non può osare neanche ad ammetterlo a sé stesso, perché sa che non può aspettarsi niente da lui. Povera stella, il mare è pieno di pesce, passa oltre, lui non ti merita!😵 È così nascosto nell'armadio, che ha dimenticato la strada verso casa.
Lo trovo giusto? Non lo trovo.😠 Ma stiamo scherzando o cosa? dio lo prenderei a ombrellata! E invece di dare un calcio nel didietro grasso di quella, la metti incinta? 😲😱 Booh!
Invece guardando dal punto di vista di Jase e considerando tutti gli sbagli che ha fatto, l'unica cosa buona di tutto quello che ha dovuto fare, è il suo figlio Grayson. Dopo la sua nascita si è costretto ad avere pazienza e aspettare. Aspettare che la moglie se ne andasse dove e quando volessi, ad aspettare che il bambino crescesse un po', ad aspettare che i suoi genitori omofobi, egocentrici, egoisti e esibizionisti se ne andasse in un'altro stato (dovevano andare agli inferi secondo me🤬), ad aspettare fino a che lui potessi uscire dall'esercito con una buona professione civile. E dopo 6 anni in cui ha dovuto aspettare, adesso spera solamente che Bryan lo abbia aspettato per tutto questo tempo, anche se non hanno mantenuto nessun contato.
Infine vi dico che per Gray, ne è valsa la pena.... ha saputo amare quel piccolo genietto e farlo diventare l'ometto che è, e il grande uomo che sarà.
Ci sono degli avvenimenti nella storia che sono surreali e una vera assurdità (di nuovo... secondo me😩), come il comportamento dei genitori di Jase e anche da lui stesso. Ma dov'è siamo negli anni 30?🤬
Ma il libro in sé mi è piaciuto molto e... un hip! hip! hip! urrà! per Bryan e Grayson! 👏👏👏👏
Per me è ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
✔ Letto! Cosa può fare la paura nella vita di una persona? Può condizionarla interamente. Può renderla vittima, aguzzino e succube di sé stessa. Può farti morire ogni giorno in piccole dosi di veleno. Che cosa puoi fare per la paura che provi? Se sei uno come Jase, ti arrampichi sugli specchi, trovi un po' di antidoto al veleno quotidiano, vive nella bugia più profonda che esiste, si trasforma in qualcuno che non sei.
Ho letto la storia breve tra Bryan e Jase, già lì lui era condizionato della paura, sopportava una moglie cattiva, bugiarda, ricattatrice, manipolatrice ed egoista pur di mantenere una facciata di mer🤬.Sopportava le corne pur che li facessi sembrare etero. 😩😝
La Paura era l'arma più potente che il soldato Jase portava con sé. Paura di essere sé stesso.
Cosa fa un uomo innamorato, gay e fiero di esserlo? Rispetta la paura dell'altro, gli concede tutto il tempo necessario di cui l'altro sembra aver bisogno, si concede. Vittima anche lui della passione che prova per l'altro in attimi rubati dove cerca di ricavarne il massimo. Sa essere amico quando l'altro necessita, ascolta e aspetta, andando avanti con la sua vita, ma nessuno può essere Jase e continuava a paragonare ogni uomo a lui. Ama quello uomo ma non può osare neanche ad ammetterlo a sé stesso, perché sa che non può aspettarsi niente da lui. Povera stella, il mare è pieno di pesce, passa oltre, lui non ti merita!😵 È così nascosto nell'armadio, che ha dimenticato la strada verso casa.
Lo trovo giusto? Non lo trovo.😠 Ma stiamo scherzando o cosa? dio lo prenderei a ombrellata! E invece di dare un calcio nel didietro grasso di quella, la metti incinta? 😲😱 Booh!
Invece guardando dal punto di vista di Jase e considerando tutti gli sbagli che ha fatto, l'unica cosa buona di tutto quello che ha dovuto fare, è il suo figlio Grayson. Dopo la sua nascita si è costretto ad avere pazienza e aspettare. Aspettare che la moglie se ne andasse dove e quando volessi, ad aspettare che il bambino crescesse un po', ad aspettare che i suoi genitori omofobi, egocentrici, egoisti e esibizionisti se ne andasse in un'altro stato (dovevano andare agli inferi secondo me🤬), ad aspettare fino a che lui potessi uscire dall'esercito con una buona professione civile. E dopo 6 anni in cui ha dovuto aspettare, adesso spera solamente che Bryan lo abbia aspettato per tutto questo tempo, anche se non hanno mantenuto nessun contato.
Infine vi dico che per Gray, ne è valsa la pena.... ha saputo amare quel piccolo genietto e farlo diventare l'ometto che è, e il grande uomo che sarà.
Ci sono degli avvenimenti nella storia che sono surreali e una vera assurdità (di nuovo... secondo me😩), come il comportamento dei genitori di Jase e anche da lui stesso. Ma dov'è siamo negli anni 30?🤬
Ma il libro in sé mi è piaciuto molto e... un hip! hip! hip! urrà! per Bryan e Grayson! 👏👏👏👏
Per me è ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
June 18, 2018
http://www.voluptueusementvotre.fr/20...
Émouvant, tendre et tout en douceur, Bryan & Jase est un premier tome qui interpelle et interroge sur la différence et la difficulté de vivre sa vie librement.
Coïncidence ou pas il y a quelques jours j’ai justement poussé un coup de gueule et parlé à cœur ouvert de ce que j’ai vécu et subis encore aujourd’hui. Pas à cause de ma sexualité, mais le parcours étant le même lorsque je me retrouve en face d’une histoire aussi bourrée de ressentiment et de violent jugement, ma colère explose et fait ressortir mes états d’âme à une vitesse impressionnante.
Ce qui me touche tout particulièrement c’est le lien indéfectible qui lit Bryan et Jase. Non seulement ils sont meilleurs amis depuis l’armée, mais il y a toujours eu entre eux cette alchimie électrique et cette passion explosive. Nous suivons donc ce duo à travers le temps, leur situation complexe et toutes les complications qu’elle engendre.
Je suis persuadée qu’à l’heure d’aujourd’hui plus personne ne devrait éprouver de culpabilité face à ses désirs ni faire des choix en fonction de ses relations. Rêve bien utopique j’en ai conscience puisque ce livre reflète pourtant une réalité qui me brise le cœur et me donne envie de hurler de douleur pour ces deux hommes faits l’un pour l’autre.
Si je suis totalement conquise par le fond de ce roman et l’intensité des sentiments évoqués, j’aurais vraiment aimé que l’auteure approfondisse certains événements ce qui aurait donné plus de corps à l’ensemble. En effet, durant cette lecture ce sont des mois, des années qui défilent sous nos yeux impuissants, nous rendant spectateurs de leur amour bien entendu, mais également de leur souffrance et du poids de leur mal-être.
Il me semble toutefois que ces bonds temporels ne sont pas tous bénéfiques à l’histoire, car ils m’ont quelque peu déstabilisée. J’ai réellement apprécié les efforts qui sont faits, la facilité avec laquelle ils se retrouvent, mais il est vrai qu’un récit un peu plus ciblé m’aurait davantage satisfaite.
Cela ne gâche cependant pas la beauté de leur relation et le plaisir que j’ai pris à les rencontrer et les voir évoluer ensemble. J’ai une affection toute particulière pour Grayson qui avec ses mots d’enfants décrit l’amour simplement, innocemment. A contrario je voue une haine sans égal à d’autres personnages qui mériteraient d’être à leur tour jugés pour tous leurs méfaits.
Bryan & Jase est donc un livre sur l’acceptation qui a beaucoup de potentiel. Il me tarde de découvrir le prochain opus toujours dans l’univers militaire, mais avec un nouveau couple, qui j’espère ne manquera pas de piquant.
Émouvant, tendre et tout en douceur, Bryan & Jase est un premier tome qui interpelle et interroge sur la différence et la difficulté de vivre sa vie librement.
Coïncidence ou pas il y a quelques jours j’ai justement poussé un coup de gueule et parlé à cœur ouvert de ce que j’ai vécu et subis encore aujourd’hui. Pas à cause de ma sexualité, mais le parcours étant le même lorsque je me retrouve en face d’une histoire aussi bourrée de ressentiment et de violent jugement, ma colère explose et fait ressortir mes états d’âme à une vitesse impressionnante.
Ce qui me touche tout particulièrement c’est le lien indéfectible qui lit Bryan et Jase. Non seulement ils sont meilleurs amis depuis l’armée, mais il y a toujours eu entre eux cette alchimie électrique et cette passion explosive. Nous suivons donc ce duo à travers le temps, leur situation complexe et toutes les complications qu’elle engendre.
Je suis persuadée qu’à l’heure d’aujourd’hui plus personne ne devrait éprouver de culpabilité face à ses désirs ni faire des choix en fonction de ses relations. Rêve bien utopique j’en ai conscience puisque ce livre reflète pourtant une réalité qui me brise le cœur et me donne envie de hurler de douleur pour ces deux hommes faits l’un pour l’autre.
Si je suis totalement conquise par le fond de ce roman et l’intensité des sentiments évoqués, j’aurais vraiment aimé que l’auteure approfondisse certains événements ce qui aurait donné plus de corps à l’ensemble. En effet, durant cette lecture ce sont des mois, des années qui défilent sous nos yeux impuissants, nous rendant spectateurs de leur amour bien entendu, mais également de leur souffrance et du poids de leur mal-être.
Il me semble toutefois que ces bonds temporels ne sont pas tous bénéfiques à l’histoire, car ils m’ont quelque peu déstabilisée. J’ai réellement apprécié les efforts qui sont faits, la facilité avec laquelle ils se retrouvent, mais il est vrai qu’un récit un peu plus ciblé m’aurait davantage satisfaite.
Cela ne gâche cependant pas la beauté de leur relation et le plaisir que j’ai pris à les rencontrer et les voir évoluer ensemble. J’ai une affection toute particulière pour Grayson qui avec ses mots d’enfants décrit l’amour simplement, innocemment. A contrario je voue une haine sans égal à d’autres personnages qui mériteraient d’être à leur tour jugés pour tous leurs méfaits.
Bryan & Jase est donc un livre sur l’acceptation qui a beaucoup de potentiel. Il me tarde de découvrir le prochain opus toujours dans l’univers militaire, mais avec un nouveau couple, qui j’espère ne manquera pas de piquant.
December 4, 2019
I don't like leaving negative book reviews, because I know it takes a ton of willpower and effort and passion to actually write a book. But in this case, I felt deceived by the high rating that the book has overall, so I wanted to point out a few of its glaring problems that I'm amazed didn't seem to bother anyone else.
Before the criticisms, I'll say the writer does have a nice grasp on grammar and style. The book was not an unpleasant read in terms of its structure and technical competence. The problems I had were all with the substance of the story. The author is obviously very capable of producing good writing... this particular story was just hollow in many ways.
First - The story is told in first person POV, and the male characters refer to their penises 16 times as their "lengths". It was so stupid that every time I saw this word, I was torn out of the story because it made me aware I was reading words written by a woman who's afraid to use real language. No man refers to his penis as his "length". Here are excerpts of the 16 sentences where this happens... read them and try to imagine any man, particularly a gay man, actually saying these things:
- He rocked his length against me...
- ... he rolled the condom down his length.
- ... wrapping my lips around Braeton's impressive length.
- ... my length thrust between his lips...
- ... he rocked our lengths together...
- Our rock hard lengths brushed together...
- ... taking his length into my mouth...
- Reaching around to grab his length...
- He grasped my hand and cupped it over his hard length.
- ... he reached my rock hard length.
- ... his hot length settling against my hole...
- Reaching around to grasp my length...
- ... I slowly took his length in my mouth...
- ... coating my length with lube...
- My length nudged at his hole...
- He reached between our bodies to palm my length...
You may think this is a silly thing to be bothered by, but it was absolutely ridiculous and distracting to me. Again, I doubt any man ever uses that word in that way. I know I certainly don’t.
Second - The characters almost always spoke in complete thoughts - in complete sentences - in complete paragraphs - with very few contractions - with very few interruptions. The conversations sounded more like something from a screenplay than a novel. Here's one of the worst examples... a neighbor woman talking to the main characters about watching their son, Gray:
“Well, it appears that Gray won’t have any trouble adjusting to being here. My children and I will walk him to the bus every morning and pick him up every afternoon like we do the other children I watch. I can feed him breakfast here, he can even come in his pajamas if he’d like to change into school clothes after breakfast. I’ll be sure his teeth are brushed and his hair is fixed. We’ll just keep some clothing and toiletries here. I always wanted a large family, having Gray as an addition to my crew during the weeks you are working will be a blessing to me and my children.” Juanita smiled at Bryan and me over her coffee cup. “And, if I can be of any help babysitting in the evenings or on weekends if you two need some private time, I’m more than willing.”
This was not an unusual occurrence in the book. Very long, pretentious sounding speeches that simply did not sound like actual human beings speaking. Obviously authors are free to take liberties with how they write dialogue, but this was clearly not intentional... it seemed to be the result of the author not thinking through how bizarre the characters would sound if they actually spoke that way.
As a minor related point, there were also a few places where characters would seemingly respond to something that another character was thinking in their head, even though it would be very unlikely that that person would have guessed what the other character had been thinking. This was just another example of something that pulled me out of the realism of the story and reminded me that I was reading the product of the author's mind rather than the thoughts or words of the characters.
Third - The two main characters seemed to exist only in relation to each other. What do I mean by that? Probably about 90% of the book was focused entirely on their relationship, but not in a way that actually developed it. There was almost no characterization beyond "Bryan likes Jase and Jase likes Bryan." Sure, there was a shallow back story of them being in the military together, and a few minor plot points like Jase's crazy ex wife and Bryan's dating life. Bryan had a job that was never referred to in any depth, apparently just because he needed to be given some kind of job to afford his apartment, and Jase had a job that was only spoken of in how it related to his military experience and being in the closet. Other than video games and favored sex positions, I couldn't tell you a single thing the two guys liked doing, let alone anything substantial about their personalities as actual human beings.
My point is that if you removed the relationship between the two characters, the entire story would fall apart. There would be almost nothing of interest besides Jase and his son and Jase's homophobic parents. There was nothing else going on at all. Bryan was fleshed out so little that he basically played the role of a living sex toy. So, for hundreds of pages, the only things happening were the main characters talking about trying to be together, and them having sex. The fact that they wanted to be together was baked into their characters rather than having their relationship development given even the slightest amount of lip service. There wasn't even any interpersonal conflict. No irritation, no arguments, no miscommunication, no misaligned goals. They were barely more than two props for the plot twist at the end. In fact, despite 6 or 7 years elapsing from the beginning to the end of this story, there weren’t even any character arcs to speak of. They were two-dimensional unchanging characters the whole way through. You could read the beginning and end without realizing any time had passed, let alone 7 years.
Fourth - Speaking of that plot twist... for a story taking place when and where this one did, the major conflict at the end (and its resolution) were, to be very charitable, dumb. I'll just leave it at that and avoid spoilers.
One final quibble… The 5-year-old son alternated from being young and naïve to being almost emotionally an adult. This was weird and jarring, as well as unnecessary. His maturity jumped around to suit whatever was supposed to be happening in the plot at any given moment.
So, to sum up, this would be my advice to the author. You clearly have a lot of writing skill. What you're missing, at least in this book, is 1) the ability or desire to picture your characters saying the things you've written and evaluating whether they sound ridiculous, 2) the ability to construct compelling conflicts (both large and small), and 3) an understanding of how important it is to flesh out characters with more to them than than just how they are (or want to be) related to other characters.
Before the criticisms, I'll say the writer does have a nice grasp on grammar and style. The book was not an unpleasant read in terms of its structure and technical competence. The problems I had were all with the substance of the story. The author is obviously very capable of producing good writing... this particular story was just hollow in many ways.
First - The story is told in first person POV, and the male characters refer to their penises 16 times as their "lengths". It was so stupid that every time I saw this word, I was torn out of the story because it made me aware I was reading words written by a woman who's afraid to use real language. No man refers to his penis as his "length". Here are excerpts of the 16 sentences where this happens... read them and try to imagine any man, particularly a gay man, actually saying these things:
- He rocked his length against me...
- ... he rolled the condom down his length.
- ... wrapping my lips around Braeton's impressive length.
- ... my length thrust between his lips...
- ... he rocked our lengths together...
- Our rock hard lengths brushed together...
- ... taking his length into my mouth...
- Reaching around to grab his length...
- He grasped my hand and cupped it over his hard length.
- ... he reached my rock hard length.
- ... his hot length settling against my hole...
- Reaching around to grasp my length...
- ... I slowly took his length in my mouth...
- ... coating my length with lube...
- My length nudged at his hole...
- He reached between our bodies to palm my length...
You may think this is a silly thing to be bothered by, but it was absolutely ridiculous and distracting to me. Again, I doubt any man ever uses that word in that way. I know I certainly don’t.
Second - The characters almost always spoke in complete thoughts - in complete sentences - in complete paragraphs - with very few contractions - with very few interruptions. The conversations sounded more like something from a screenplay than a novel. Here's one of the worst examples... a neighbor woman talking to the main characters about watching their son, Gray:
“Well, it appears that Gray won’t have any trouble adjusting to being here. My children and I will walk him to the bus every morning and pick him up every afternoon like we do the other children I watch. I can feed him breakfast here, he can even come in his pajamas if he’d like to change into school clothes after breakfast. I’ll be sure his teeth are brushed and his hair is fixed. We’ll just keep some clothing and toiletries here. I always wanted a large family, having Gray as an addition to my crew during the weeks you are working will be a blessing to me and my children.” Juanita smiled at Bryan and me over her coffee cup. “And, if I can be of any help babysitting in the evenings or on weekends if you two need some private time, I’m more than willing.”
This was not an unusual occurrence in the book. Very long, pretentious sounding speeches that simply did not sound like actual human beings speaking. Obviously authors are free to take liberties with how they write dialogue, but this was clearly not intentional... it seemed to be the result of the author not thinking through how bizarre the characters would sound if they actually spoke that way.
As a minor related point, there were also a few places where characters would seemingly respond to something that another character was thinking in their head, even though it would be very unlikely that that person would have guessed what the other character had been thinking. This was just another example of something that pulled me out of the realism of the story and reminded me that I was reading the product of the author's mind rather than the thoughts or words of the characters.
Third - The two main characters seemed to exist only in relation to each other. What do I mean by that? Probably about 90% of the book was focused entirely on their relationship, but not in a way that actually developed it. There was almost no characterization beyond "Bryan likes Jase and Jase likes Bryan." Sure, there was a shallow back story of them being in the military together, and a few minor plot points like Jase's crazy ex wife and Bryan's dating life. Bryan had a job that was never referred to in any depth, apparently just because he needed to be given some kind of job to afford his apartment, and Jase had a job that was only spoken of in how it related to his military experience and being in the closet. Other than video games and favored sex positions, I couldn't tell you a single thing the two guys liked doing, let alone anything substantial about their personalities as actual human beings.
My point is that if you removed the relationship between the two characters, the entire story would fall apart. There would be almost nothing of interest besides Jase and his son and Jase's homophobic parents. There was nothing else going on at all. Bryan was fleshed out so little that he basically played the role of a living sex toy. So, for hundreds of pages, the only things happening were the main characters talking about trying to be together, and them having sex. The fact that they wanted to be together was baked into their characters rather than having their relationship development given even the slightest amount of lip service. There wasn't even any interpersonal conflict. No irritation, no arguments, no miscommunication, no misaligned goals. They were barely more than two props for the plot twist at the end. In fact, despite 6 or 7 years elapsing from the beginning to the end of this story, there weren’t even any character arcs to speak of. They were two-dimensional unchanging characters the whole way through. You could read the beginning and end without realizing any time had passed, let alone 7 years.
Fourth - Speaking of that plot twist... for a story taking place when and where this one did, the major conflict at the end (and its resolution) were, to be very charitable, dumb. I'll just leave it at that and avoid spoilers.
One final quibble… The 5-year-old son alternated from being young and naïve to being almost emotionally an adult. This was weird and jarring, as well as unnecessary. His maturity jumped around to suit whatever was supposed to be happening in the plot at any given moment.
So, to sum up, this would be my advice to the author. You clearly have a lot of writing skill. What you're missing, at least in this book, is 1) the ability or desire to picture your characters saying the things you've written and evaluating whether they sound ridiculous, 2) the ability to construct compelling conflicts (both large and small), and 3) an understanding of how important it is to flesh out characters with more to them than than just how they are (or want to be) related to other characters.
June 7, 2018
Une recette de tout ce que j'aime, une sorte de GFY, un père célibataire, un petit garçon tout mignon et d'anciens militaires qui plus est. C'était parti pour me plaire.
Ici c'est l'histoire de Bryan et Jase, d'abord amis dans l'armée, puis plus qu'amis dans une parenthèse dans le temps. Une fois séparés, chacun va de son côté, reprendre sa vie là où il l'avait laissée, mais nos deux gars n'ont jamais réussi à s'oublier ou laisser quelqu'un d'autre remplir ce vide que l'un et l'autre ressente.
La situation de Jase est vachement plus compliquée et c'est tout sauf une promenade de santé, entre une femme qui le retient en otage et des parents homophobes, il a gagné le gros lot.
Le livre est plein de douceur et de bonté, les deux personnages sont gentils et un peu paumés, surtout Jase qui n'arrive pas du tout à dépasser sa peur pour assumer son amour envers Bryan.
Le livre se déroule sur plusieurs années, on les rencontre sur des espaces-temps différents et on est témoins de leur évolution et à chaque fois, même constat, beaucoup d'amour et d'abnégation, même si des fois, on a envie de les secouer un peu : Allez, les gars, vous êtes des militaires oui ou bien ????
La plus belle chose dans ce livre, c'est le petit Grayson. Il est adorable et tellement rafraichissant. (Oui, oui, j'ai un faible pour les enfants dans les livres).
Cependant,t ce livre a un sacré défaut malgré tout, un défaut qui a un peu gâché ma lecture et c'est le manque de profondeur dans les scènes. Le livre ne manque pas de scènes touchantes, mais elles sont à peine survolées sans réellement être bien approfondies et mieux traitées. On a le sentiment que l'auteur nous raconte "vite fait" les histoires de ces 3 bonhommes (le 3ème étant bébé Grayson) sans vraiment se poser et approfondir les choses, et ça c'était vraiment dommage.
Malgré tout, je compte bien continuer la série et connaitre les histoires des autres personnages, surtout qu'on me souffle dans l'oreillette que le tome 4 est top !!!
Affaire à suivre !
Ici c'est l'histoire de Bryan et Jase, d'abord amis dans l'armée, puis plus qu'amis dans une parenthèse dans le temps. Une fois séparés, chacun va de son côté, reprendre sa vie là où il l'avait laissée, mais nos deux gars n'ont jamais réussi à s'oublier ou laisser quelqu'un d'autre remplir ce vide que l'un et l'autre ressente.
La situation de Jase est vachement plus compliquée et c'est tout sauf une promenade de santé, entre une femme qui le retient en otage et des parents homophobes, il a gagné le gros lot.
Le livre est plein de douceur et de bonté, les deux personnages sont gentils et un peu paumés, surtout Jase qui n'arrive pas du tout à dépasser sa peur pour assumer son amour envers Bryan.
Le livre se déroule sur plusieurs années, on les rencontre sur des espaces-temps différents et on est témoins de leur évolution et à chaque fois, même constat, beaucoup d'amour et d'abnégation, même si des fois, on a envie de les secouer un peu : Allez, les gars, vous êtes des militaires oui ou bien ????
La plus belle chose dans ce livre, c'est le petit Grayson. Il est adorable et tellement rafraichissant. (Oui, oui, j'ai un faible pour les enfants dans les livres).
Cependant,t ce livre a un sacré défaut malgré tout, un défaut qui a un peu gâché ma lecture et c'est le manque de profondeur dans les scènes. Le livre ne manque pas de scènes touchantes, mais elles sont à peine survolées sans réellement être bien approfondies et mieux traitées. On a le sentiment que l'auteur nous raconte "vite fait" les histoires de ces 3 bonhommes (le 3ème étant bébé Grayson) sans vraiment se poser et approfondir les choses, et ça c'était vraiment dommage.
Malgré tout, je compte bien continuer la série et connaitre les histoires des autres personnages, surtout qu'on me souffle dans l'oreillette que le tome 4 est top !!!
Affaire à suivre !
August 24, 2021
“I loved you then, then I loved you again. I love you now, and I’ll love you every day for the rest of our life. Storms and all.” Bryan Keating
This is my favorite line of the story. What’s not to love about a love that is destined to be and circumstances that continually bring two souls together? This was a touching story about Bryan, Jase, and Jase’s adorable son Gray. Jase and Bryan met while in the army, but fear prevented Jase from pursuing a relationship until the last week of their deployment. They say goodbye, but a friend’s wedding brings them together, this time with the addition of Jase’s scheming wife and small child. Said scheming wife and a homophobic father cause the burgeoning relationship to be placed on pause until Jase leaves the army in hopes of reuniting with Bryan and forming a family of three.
What I loved
• FIrst person POV
• Alternating narration
• Realistic portrayal of the fear LGBTQ parents feel when outsiders threaten to take children
• Great dialogue (even if the dialogue of the seven year old did seem a bit sophisticated, it worked for what the story needed)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my favorite line of the story. What’s not to love about a love that is destined to be and circumstances that continually bring two souls together? This was a touching story about Bryan, Jase, and Jase’s adorable son Gray. Jase and Bryan met while in the army, but fear prevented Jase from pursuing a relationship until the last week of their deployment. They say goodbye, but a friend’s wedding brings them together, this time with the addition of Jase’s scheming wife and small child. Said scheming wife and a homophobic father cause the burgeoning relationship to be placed on pause until Jase leaves the army in hopes of reuniting with Bryan and forming a family of three.
What I loved
• FIrst person POV
• Alternating narration
• Realistic portrayal of the fear LGBTQ parents feel when outsiders threaten to take children
• Great dialogue (even if the dialogue of the seven year old did seem a bit sophisticated, it worked for what the story needed)
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 15, 2020
Honestly, it was not what I expected. I expected miscommunication and tons of unwarranted angst, but what you get here is a very real telling of how it may be with one MC in an unloving marriage and his best friend who he loves very much. Both MCs start out in the military as just friends, and then develop feelings for each other. The whole time one MC is married, but clearly it is not a good marriage. His wife is just terrible. Then fast forward a year with little to no contact and they find each other again only to be separated again for five years...then finally they meet up, but of course that does not go as planned either. All in all though, it was a very real telling of this type of story with one MC completely out and the other struggling and having homophobic parents and no support system. I thought Bryan and Jase were perfect for each other and were very good at communicating and Gray was the perfect compliment to them both.
August 23, 2021
An enjoyable story that includes being able to accept oneself and to fight for one's happiness
I enjoyed reading this story. I enjoyed the bond that Bryan & Jase had - even b4 the kiss behind the dumpster. I liked how Bryan was understanding of Jase's actions, especially when it came to protecting his son. I also enjoyed how Jase grew as an individual to finally accept his sexuality and be able to take a stand for it.
Story-wise, it was enjoyable and entertaining. There weren't any dull moments in the story.
I would definitely recommend this book to others.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed reading this story. I enjoyed the bond that Bryan & Jase had - even b4 the kiss behind the dumpster. I liked how Bryan was understanding of Jase's actions, especially when it came to protecting his son. I also enjoyed how Jase grew as an individual to finally accept his sexuality and be able to take a stand for it.
Story-wise, it was enjoyable and entertaining. There weren't any dull moments in the story.
I would definitely recommend this book to others.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 22, 2021
This is a well written M/M friends to lovers and more. The author brings strong characters in Bryan and Jase as well as Jase's young son Gray. It's an emotional story with Jase coming to terms with his sexuality and dealing with blackmail and his insecurities with his father. It's a realistic read that had me glued to the pages from beginning to end. The story moves fluidly with descriptive and detailed scenes and is a wonderful read. Loved and recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
October 12, 2019
eine Geschichte mit viel Gefühl,
mir das Lesen des Buches sehr viel Spass gemacht,
von der ersten bis zur letzten Zeile eine fesselnde und spannende Story,
von mir eine klare Leseempfehlung
mir das Lesen des Buches sehr viel Spass gemacht,
von der ersten bis zur letzten Zeile eine fesselnde und spannende Story,
von mir eine klare Leseempfehlung
May 5, 2020
Un petit 3, j'ai eu du mal à comprendre le comportement de Jase, bon l'emprise familiale et moi ça fait deux clairement.
August 20, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It's Bryan and Jase's story, one is out and one isn't. Their love overcomes all the obstacles in their way.
August 8, 2021
Bryan had feelings for his straight friend Jace when they were the military. Jace want a divorce but was blackmailed into staying married or she would tell his parents about Bryan. But one day she went too far with his son and his parents didn’t believe what she said. They met again in Texas at a friends wedding then they lost touch but Bryan told him that every year he goes to the Gen Con in Indianapolis where he lived. Took 5 years but found each other then having problems with his parents. Things got hashed out. Great book!
August 7, 2021
Bryan and Jase: two best friends who have glimpses that they could be more. Great read with strong characters and a touching storyline. I was routing for these two the whole book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews