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Crashing Upwards
2019 Lambda Gay Romance Winner!
Harper Jones is a professional bike courier, and in his business if you don’t ride fast, you don’t make money. His apartment has mice, he’s barely able to scrape up the rent, but at least he’s living life on his terms and doesn’t depend on anyone.
Sam Foster is the gay son of a wealthy conservative senator. He’s noticed Harper before when he’s dropped off packages at his dad’s company, but he’s never had the nerve to speak to his secret crush.
When Sam accidentally hits Harper with his car, Harper’s bike is destroyed and he’s injured seriously enough that he won’t be delivering packages for a while. Sam decides Harper needs rescuing, and he moves in with Harper to take care of him.
Unfortunately, Sam’s politician dad is convinced Harper’s a con-artist and he’ll do whatever it takes to get him away from his son.
Harper Jones is a professional bike courier, and in his business if you don’t ride fast, you don’t make money. His apartment has mice, he’s barely able to scrape up the rent, but at least he’s living life on his terms and doesn’t depend on anyone.
Sam Foster is the gay son of a wealthy conservative senator. He’s noticed Harper before when he’s dropped off packages at his dad’s company, but he’s never had the nerve to speak to his secret crush.
When Sam accidentally hits Harper with his car, Harper’s bike is destroyed and he’s injured seriously enough that he won’t be delivering packages for a while. Sam decides Harper needs rescuing, and he moves in with Harper to take care of him.
Unfortunately, Sam’s politician dad is convinced Harper’s a con-artist and he’ll do whatever it takes to get him away from his son.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2018
78 people are currently reading
992 people want to read
About the author
S.C. Wynne
84 books583 followersS.C. Wynne is a Lambda Award-winning author for Gay Romance. S.C. started writing m/m romance and mystery in 2013. Her characters are usually a little jaded, funny, and ultimately redeemed through love.
If you’d like to contact S.C. Wynne she'd love to hear from you. You can contact her at scwynne@scwynne.com
If you’d like to contact S.C. Wynne she'd love to hear from you. You can contact her at scwynne@scwynne.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
September 7, 2020
The Story: 2 Pants Off
How it went: I don’t believe in love cuz I trust nobody......
PSYCH! I do be believing in love and I love you....
How it went some more: You give me the courage to be better and I’m ready to come out to my overbearing father. I love you and we have each others backs.
PSYCH! My dad said you’re an extortionist and I believe him (a little)...
LOVE IS DEAD!!
The narration: 3.5 Pants Off
No difference between the MC voices.
How it went: I don’t believe in love cuz I trust nobody......
PSYCH! I do be believing in love and I love you....
How it went some more: You give me the courage to be better and I’m ready to come out to my overbearing father. I love you and we have each others backs.
PSYCH! My dad said you’re an extortionist and I believe him (a little)...
LOVE IS DEAD!!
The narration: 3.5 Pants Off
No difference between the MC voices.
February 20, 2019
This is a sweet, opposites attract romance.
Sam is the son of a well-to-do conservative politician. He has led a privileged life, works for his father, but the good in people and devotes a lot of his time to doing charity work. He doesn't agree with his father, but has been playing the part of the dutiful son, keeping his sexuality a secret so as not to put-off dad's biggest donors. He's tried to address it with dear old dad, but really hasn't had a reason to push. Not until he hits Harper with his car and falls hard for the stubborn bike courier.
Harper has learned to rely only on himself. He's barely been getting by as a bike courier and when he can't work, he reluctantly agrees to allow Sam to help him until he's back on his feet. Sam's father has made it known that he thinks Harper is just out to get his hands on Sam's money, but Sam is determined to nurse Harper back to health and hopefully gain his trust and he slowly chips away at Harper's defenses.
I really enjoyed the characters. Sam is super sweet and a genuine nice guy. He's not stupid, but he does come off as naive at times, especially when it comes to his father. Harper has his reasons not to trust and comes off as abrasive at times, but he has his reasons. He's much more a realist than Sam is and that contradiction makes the road to romance a bit rocky. Sam's father's manipulations don't help things. Even when he apologizes for things it comes off as insincere and only done because of some other pressure placed on him. Sam's sister is wonderful, not as willing to see Sam kept in the closet as he is and exerting just the right pressure and support to help him start acting in his own best interest. There is a bit of a misunderstanding/miscommunication towards the end, but it's not overly drawn out. Overall, a sweet, feel-good romance.
Sam is the son of a well-to-do conservative politician. He has led a privileged life, works for his father, but the good in people and devotes a lot of his time to doing charity work. He doesn't agree with his father, but has been playing the part of the dutiful son, keeping his sexuality a secret so as not to put-off dad's biggest donors. He's tried to address it with dear old dad, but really hasn't had a reason to push. Not until he hits Harper with his car and falls hard for the stubborn bike courier.
Harper has learned to rely only on himself. He's barely been getting by as a bike courier and when he can't work, he reluctantly agrees to allow Sam to help him until he's back on his feet. Sam's father has made it known that he thinks Harper is just out to get his hands on Sam's money, but Sam is determined to nurse Harper back to health and hopefully gain his trust and he slowly chips away at Harper's defenses.
I really enjoyed the characters. Sam is super sweet and a genuine nice guy. He's not stupid, but he does come off as naive at times, especially when it comes to his father. Harper has his reasons not to trust and comes off as abrasive at times, but he has his reasons. He's much more a realist than Sam is and that contradiction makes the road to romance a bit rocky. Sam's father's manipulations don't help things. Even when he apologizes for things it comes off as insincere and only done because of some other pressure placed on him. Sam's sister is wonderful, not as willing to see Sam kept in the closet as he is and exerting just the right pressure and support to help him start acting in his own best interest. There is a bit of a misunderstanding/miscommunication towards the end, but it's not overly drawn out. Overall, a sweet, feel-good romance.
dnf
June 6, 2019DNF at 32%
The dialogue feels strange and simplistic. Also, nothing actually happens. Now I’m all for some good hurt/comfort, but this just felt off to me.
The dialogue feels strange and simplistic. Also, nothing actually happens. Now I’m all for some good hurt/comfort, but this just felt off to me.
April 12, 2024
I've given this a B for narration and a C- for content at AudioGals, so I'm calling that 3.5 stars
Crashing Upwards is a fairly low-drama romance by a new-to-me author, and I picked up the audio to review partly because some of my online friends enjoyed the book, partly because it’s a LAMBDA award winner, and partly because Kale Williams is narrating. I suspect that the award-winner status raised my expectations somewhat, because while the story is engaging enough, it doesn’t really have anything new to offer, and the characters, while likeable, are nothing I haven’t read or listened to before.
That said, the way the two protagonists meet IS unusual. I can’t call it a meet-cute, not when Sam Foster hits Harper Jones with his car, knocks him off his bike and lands him in hospital. Harper regains consciousness to find an unfamiliar man sitting by his hospital bed, apologising and telling him that he’ll take care of him and that his father will pay for a new bike and whatever else he needs. As Harper gradually starts to get a clearer picture of what’s happened, he understands that the man – who introduces himself as Sam Foster – is apologising for hitting him with his car and telling him not to worry about the medical bills or, indeed, about anything because he’ll deal with it all. Harper, who has supported himself since he was sixteen and now earns his living as a bike messenger, can’t NOT worry – about the bills, about his job, about making the rent – so being told he shouldn’t isn’t exactly helping.
Sam works for his father, a moderate Republican senator who is running for re-election. Born into wealth and privilege, Sam is a glass-half-full kinda guy and is dedicated to helping those less fortunate, spending a lot of his spare time doing charity work. Sam works hard for the campaign, even going so far as to hide his sexuality so as not to rock the boat with some of his father’s biggest donors, but is growing increasingly frustrated at his father’s refusal to discuss the fact that he’s tired of living a lie and wants to come out.
Sam has been crushing on Harper for a while, having seen him around a few times when he’s made deliveries to the campaign offices, and he’s determined to make sure Harper has everything he needs for his recovery. Harper is highly sceptical – Sam seems too good to be true – but he’s also been alone for most of his adult life and has learned that the only person he can rely on is himself, so he finds it difficult to accept help or to admit that he needs it. But when he’s discharged just a day after the accident (which made no sense to me – he was badly banged up, couldn’t walk unaided, wouldn’t really be able to look after himself, and as far as the staff knew at the time lived alone – yet they were going to send him home without even assessing his ability to take care of himself?) he has no alternative but to accept Sam’s offer of help, which involves Sam basically moving in with him until such time as Harper is properly on the mend.
Crashing Upwards is a simple (perhaps even under-developed) story with very little conflict or obstacles in the way of the romance. Based on what the synopsis says about Sam’s father (who believes that Harper is out to milk Sam for every penny he can get) being prepared to do whatever it takes to get his son away from Harper, I’d expected a bit of suspense – for instance, when Harper’s apartment is destroyed in a fire, I thought that maybe there was some nefarious plot afoot, but no; it was just a way for the author to make it necessary for Harper to move into Sam’s house. I also found Sam’s insistence on paying for absolutely everything to be a bit over the top – and even creepy. I get that he felt really guilty for injuring Harper in the first place, but his continued refrain of “let me pay for this – it’s my fault you’re injured” actually made me uncomfortable after a while; given Harper had no alternative after his apartment burned down leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back, it seemed manipulative and Sam kept overriding Harper’s protests and denying him his independence. (Had I not known in advance this was a romance, I’d have been waiting for the big reveal where Sam is a crazy stalker insinuating himself into Harper’s life!)
The writing is… okay, but there’s not a lot of plot here, and what there is, is repetitive, basically consisting of Sam telling Harper he’ll take care of him, Harper telling him no, Sam not taking no for an answer and Harper telling him why they can’t be together – rinse – repeat. And that repetitiveness in the plot is echoed in the writing with a number of heavily re-used words and phrases (something I tend to notice more in audio than I do in print.) Characters “chuff” a lot – as in “he chuffed” – which I’m guessing is something like a snort or a huff? (Although in the UK it can also mean fart). And people “bug” their eyes frequently – so much that I wondered if any of them were going to end up with eye strain.
As I said at the beginning, one of the reasons I chose to review Crashing Upwards was Kale Williams – but while his smooth, attractive voice did manage to get me past the worst of the repetitions and lack of plot and character development, even a really good narrator can’t save a mediocre book. There are only a handful of secondary characters in the story, which include Sam’s parents, Harper’s long-lost sister and his jackass boss; Mr. Williams characterises them all well and differentiates effectively between all of them and the two principals – although at times, Sam and Harper sounded very similar and I’m not sure I could have always worked out which was which had it not been for the dialogue tags. The performance is well-paced and expressive; I just wish Mr. Williams had been given better material to work with.
As is obvious, I can’t give Crashing Upwards a ringing endorsement; the narration is good, but the story just didn’t work for me. S.C. Wynne has an extensive back catalogue in print and a few other titles available in audio, so I may give their work another try at some point.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
Crashing Upwards is a fairly low-drama romance by a new-to-me author, and I picked up the audio to review partly because some of my online friends enjoyed the book, partly because it’s a LAMBDA award winner, and partly because Kale Williams is narrating. I suspect that the award-winner status raised my expectations somewhat, because while the story is engaging enough, it doesn’t really have anything new to offer, and the characters, while likeable, are nothing I haven’t read or listened to before.
That said, the way the two protagonists meet IS unusual. I can’t call it a meet-cute, not when Sam Foster hits Harper Jones with his car, knocks him off his bike and lands him in hospital. Harper regains consciousness to find an unfamiliar man sitting by his hospital bed, apologising and telling him that he’ll take care of him and that his father will pay for a new bike and whatever else he needs. As Harper gradually starts to get a clearer picture of what’s happened, he understands that the man – who introduces himself as Sam Foster – is apologising for hitting him with his car and telling him not to worry about the medical bills or, indeed, about anything because he’ll deal with it all. Harper, who has supported himself since he was sixteen and now earns his living as a bike messenger, can’t NOT worry – about the bills, about his job, about making the rent – so being told he shouldn’t isn’t exactly helping.
Sam works for his father, a moderate Republican senator who is running for re-election. Born into wealth and privilege, Sam is a glass-half-full kinda guy and is dedicated to helping those less fortunate, spending a lot of his spare time doing charity work. Sam works hard for the campaign, even going so far as to hide his sexuality so as not to rock the boat with some of his father’s biggest donors, but is growing increasingly frustrated at his father’s refusal to discuss the fact that he’s tired of living a lie and wants to come out.
Sam has been crushing on Harper for a while, having seen him around a few times when he’s made deliveries to the campaign offices, and he’s determined to make sure Harper has everything he needs for his recovery. Harper is highly sceptical – Sam seems too good to be true – but he’s also been alone for most of his adult life and has learned that the only person he can rely on is himself, so he finds it difficult to accept help or to admit that he needs it. But when he’s discharged just a day after the accident (which made no sense to me – he was badly banged up, couldn’t walk unaided, wouldn’t really be able to look after himself, and as far as the staff knew at the time lived alone – yet they were going to send him home without even assessing his ability to take care of himself?) he has no alternative but to accept Sam’s offer of help, which involves Sam basically moving in with him until such time as Harper is properly on the mend.
Crashing Upwards is a simple (perhaps even under-developed) story with very little conflict or obstacles in the way of the romance. Based on what the synopsis says about Sam’s father (who believes that Harper is out to milk Sam for every penny he can get) being prepared to do whatever it takes to get his son away from Harper, I’d expected a bit of suspense – for instance, when Harper’s apartment is destroyed in a fire, I thought that maybe there was some nefarious plot afoot, but no; it was just a way for the author to make it necessary for Harper to move into Sam’s house. I also found Sam’s insistence on paying for absolutely everything to be a bit over the top – and even creepy. I get that he felt really guilty for injuring Harper in the first place, but his continued refrain of “let me pay for this – it’s my fault you’re injured” actually made me uncomfortable after a while; given Harper had no alternative after his apartment burned down leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back, it seemed manipulative and Sam kept overriding Harper’s protests and denying him his independence. (Had I not known in advance this was a romance, I’d have been waiting for the big reveal where Sam is a crazy stalker insinuating himself into Harper’s life!)
The writing is… okay, but there’s not a lot of plot here, and what there is, is repetitive, basically consisting of Sam telling Harper he’ll take care of him, Harper telling him no, Sam not taking no for an answer and Harper telling him why they can’t be together – rinse – repeat. And that repetitiveness in the plot is echoed in the writing with a number of heavily re-used words and phrases (something I tend to notice more in audio than I do in print.) Characters “chuff” a lot – as in “he chuffed” – which I’m guessing is something like a snort or a huff? (Although in the UK it can also mean fart). And people “bug” their eyes frequently – so much that I wondered if any of them were going to end up with eye strain.
As I said at the beginning, one of the reasons I chose to review Crashing Upwards was Kale Williams – but while his smooth, attractive voice did manage to get me past the worst of the repetitions and lack of plot and character development, even a really good narrator can’t save a mediocre book. There are only a handful of secondary characters in the story, which include Sam’s parents, Harper’s long-lost sister and his jackass boss; Mr. Williams characterises them all well and differentiates effectively between all of them and the two principals – although at times, Sam and Harper sounded very similar and I’m not sure I could have always worked out which was which had it not been for the dialogue tags. The performance is well-paced and expressive; I just wish Mr. Williams had been given better material to work with.
As is obvious, I can’t give Crashing Upwards a ringing endorsement; the narration is good, but the story just didn’t work for me. S.C. Wynne has an extensive back catalogue in print and a few other titles available in audio, so I may give their work another try at some point.
This review originally appeared at AudioGals .
October 2, 2023
A bike messenger gets hit by a car. The driver moves in with him. Taking responsibility for his rehab. Is this one of those Cinderella stories? Kind of harsher being that no cleaning by rats. But the rodents might be the catalyst for them going to a secluded cabin.
Such a heart warming tale, before all the paparazzi and hurt feelings. Cause there is always hurt feelings and misunderstandings in romance.
Such a heart warming tale, before all the paparazzi and hurt feelings. Cause there is always hurt feelings and misunderstandings in romance.
May 3, 2022
3 solid stars.
I really liked Harper and Sam. I hated Sam's father and I'm not sure about all the miscommunication.
Full review to come.
I really liked Harper and Sam. I hated Sam's father and I'm not sure about all the miscommunication.
Full review to come.
December 26, 2018
3.5 Stars
This is a light, fluffy romance with no angst and some drama but a heartwarming ending. The pacing was sort of slow with a lot of repetitive back and forth over Sam’s money. The dad was unlikeable but not a villain, keeping the story on a realistic level. A nice, uncomplicated story worth reading.
This is a light, fluffy romance with no angst and some drama but a heartwarming ending. The pacing was sort of slow with a lot of repetitive back and forth over Sam’s money. The dad was unlikeable but not a villain, keeping the story on a realistic level. A nice, uncomplicated story worth reading.
June 5, 2019
So Sam the Senator’s son hits Harper the bike messenger with his car. That’s the incident that brings these two assholes together. Sam is a naive rich dude who wants to micromanage Harper’s recovery & life and Sam’s dad is a senator who thinks Sam should steer clear of Harper (who Senator believes intentionally threw himself in Sam’s car🙄). Harper is a prideful shit who runs infuriatingly hot & cold. Now about 50% of this book is basically Sam wanting to take care of Harper and Harper saying no. They have endless boring conversations about this. 25% is Harper telling Sam why they can’t be together. The other 25% is Sam & his father having the same conversation over and over about Sam staying closeted and Harper being a con artist. The story is 100% dull. Was there even a plot? Because literally all that happened was
Sam: I care about you, Harper.
Harper: why, Sam?
Sam: Idk, Harper.
H: I’m no good for you, Sam.
S: let me help you, Harper.
H: no, sam.
S: lets have sex, Harper.
H: no, sam
S: why, Harper?
H: no, sam.
S: c’mon, Harper!
H: Sam....
S: *initiates sex anyway*
H: omg, Sam.
S: fuck me, Harper.
H: oh god, Sam!
Repeat 10x with small variations. Yes the characters constantly end sentences with the name of who they’re speaking to. That is annoying. Sam’s Father was an asshole whose sudden turnaround was totally unbelievable. The backstory of Harper’s family made zero sense. The sudden appearance of a random ex of Harper’s at 90-ish% was absurd since Harper reiterates the fact that he’s on his own alllll alone no less than 100 times up until that point.
Anyway, I was just not a fan of this story or these characters or the writing in general. Sorry! 🤷🏻♀️
Sam: I care about you, Harper.
Harper: why, Sam?
Sam: Idk, Harper.
H: I’m no good for you, Sam.
S: let me help you, Harper.
H: no, sam.
S: lets have sex, Harper.
H: no, sam
S: why, Harper?
H: no, sam.
S: c’mon, Harper!
H: Sam....
S: *initiates sex anyway*
H: omg, Sam.
S: fuck me, Harper.
H: oh god, Sam!
Repeat 10x with small variations. Yes the characters constantly end sentences with the name of who they’re speaking to. That is annoying. Sam’s Father was an asshole whose sudden turnaround was totally unbelievable. The backstory of Harper’s family made zero sense. The sudden appearance of a random ex of Harper’s at 90-ish% was absurd since Harper reiterates the fact that he’s on his own alllll alone no less than 100 times up until that point.
Anyway, I was just not a fan of this story or these characters or the writing in general. Sorry! 🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2020
3.5*
I feel kind of funny "tagging" this book as "meet-cute", considering Sam hit Harper with his car, but I mean, that is a unique way of meeting someone! Although Sam already knew who Harper was...
Crashing Upwards was a sweet story, albeit a little frustrating with all the back and forth between the two main characters. Not that I can blame Harper for his hesitancy, though, when it came to letting Sam take care of him. Sam wouldn't take no for an answer, while Harper had a hard time saying yes. These two were complete opposites in every way, but somehow they ended up working. Sam had such a huge heart, it was hard for Harper to understand that someone like Sam would be interested in him. I felt sad for Harper, with the hand life had dealt him. But he was surviving and making the best of things. It took Sam crashing into him for life to start looking up.
I had a BIG problem with Sam's dad-the way he controlled Sam made me angry. Plus his attitude towards Harper just pissed me off to no end. I don't want to say he redeemed himself, but I'm glad he eventually got his head out of his ass.
I liked that this wasn't an angst-fest, even with the drama surrounding Sam and his dad. It could have definitely gone that way, especially considering Harper's circumstances. All-in-all, it really was just a sweet, mostly easy, read. The epilogue was great.
I feel kind of funny "tagging" this book as "meet-cute", considering Sam hit Harper with his car, but I mean, that is a unique way of meeting someone! Although Sam already knew who Harper was...
Crashing Upwards was a sweet story, albeit a little frustrating with all the back and forth between the two main characters. Not that I can blame Harper for his hesitancy, though, when it came to letting Sam take care of him. Sam wouldn't take no for an answer, while Harper had a hard time saying yes. These two were complete opposites in every way, but somehow they ended up working. Sam had such a huge heart, it was hard for Harper to understand that someone like Sam would be interested in him. I felt sad for Harper, with the hand life had dealt him. But he was surviving and making the best of things. It took Sam crashing into him for life to start looking up.
I had a BIG problem with Sam's dad-the way he controlled Sam made me angry. Plus his attitude towards Harper just pissed me off to no end. I don't want to say he redeemed himself, but I'm glad he eventually got his head out of his ass.
I liked that this wasn't an angst-fest, even with the drama surrounding Sam and his dad. It could have definitely gone that way, especially considering Harper's circumstances. All-in-all, it really was just a sweet, mostly easy, read. The epilogue was great.
July 5, 2019
I noticed this story after it received a Lambda award and the blurb sounded nice, it was on KU here in Germany, so I decided to give it a try and I was not disappointed.
Harper is a bike courier, who hardly makes enough money for a living, Sam is the son of a conservative Senator, so of course he's loaded...
When Harper is run over by Sam's car and needs to go to hospital, Sam takes care of him, even moving in to support Harper after the hospital stay.
Even though they are from completely different backgrounds, they connect and slowly fall in love, a fact that Sam's father who is running for reelection certainly doesn't like...
I really enjoyed those two and the way their relationship evolved.
Senator Ford was a great villain, evil on one side, but still not one dimensional, which made the story more believable.
For me it was an above average read and a very enjoyable story.
I am not completely sure about why this received an award, it didn't really stand out, I would not put it on an alltime favorite shelf, but I would definitely recommend it as a good read! 3.5 stars
Harper is a bike courier, who hardly makes enough money for a living, Sam is the son of a conservative Senator, so of course he's loaded...
When Harper is run over by Sam's car and needs to go to hospital, Sam takes care of him, even moving in to support Harper after the hospital stay.
Even though they are from completely different backgrounds, they connect and slowly fall in love, a fact that Sam's father who is running for reelection certainly doesn't like...
I really enjoyed those two and the way their relationship evolved.
Senator Ford was a great villain, evil on one side, but still not one dimensional, which made the story more believable.
For me it was an above average read and a very enjoyable story.
I am not completely sure about why this received an award, it didn't really stand out, I would not put it on an alltime favorite shelf, but I would definitely recommend it as a good read! 3.5 stars
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December 30, 2023i don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, so if this book was one of your favorites, please look away!
i was optimistic at the start because hurt/comfort stories are my jam (even if the 碰瓷 accusation aka “you ran into my son’s car to extort us of our money!” was their origin story 😂). without a whodunit plot in the way, i thought the author might have a better time balancing out the relationship beats than i’ve seen in her mysteries. but soon enough, i was met with stilted dialogue, Harper’s actions occasionally feeling inconsistent with his injuries, hazy consent, Sam’s senator dad as the classic one-dimensional villain until he has a sudden change of heart - i’m a little taken aback to see it won over Christina Lee & Riley Hart’s Of Sunlight and Stardust.
it’s a sign; i think it’s time for me to part ways with this author.
i was optimistic at the start because hurt/comfort stories are my jam (even if the 碰瓷 accusation aka “you ran into my son’s car to extort us of our money!” was their origin story 😂). without a whodunit plot in the way, i thought the author might have a better time balancing out the relationship beats than i’ve seen in her mysteries. but soon enough, i was met with stilted dialogue, Harper’s actions occasionally feeling inconsistent with his injuries, hazy consent, Sam’s senator dad as the classic one-dimensional villain until he has a sudden change of heart - i’m a little taken aback to see it won over Christina Lee & Riley Hart’s Of Sunlight and Stardust.
it’s a sign; i think it’s time for me to part ways with this author.
October 19, 2021
cw: privilege like WHOA, queermisia, misogyny, wonky power dynamics without acknowledgement and/or with the wrong sort, omfg the gaslighting, total lack of respect for boundaries, etc etc
tbh if there was a way to give negative stars I’d do it for this pos. like. I kinda can’t believe this was written in earnest and not as a case study in why NWL politics are horrifying and in many ways worse than outright bigotry.
this entire story Sam ignores EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of Harper’s boundaries and we’re meant to think it’s adorably romantic stubbornness/persistence. it’s not. it’s gross. he basically stockholm syndromes Harper into sex and so-called love. makes all sorts of flowery speeches about how him taking care of Harper against his will is actually a good.
Harper is broke, literally broken (tho his injuries and his recovery time don’t line up at ALL), and loses his job/income at the start of the story. Sam railroads him into living together, handles his job sitch and pays his bills and ignores every boundary Harper tries to put in place. so like the problematic power dynamics are just OFF THE CHARTS—and ofc never get acknowledged. Sam holds all the power in this relationship and makes so many decisions FOR Harper without talking to him cuz he doesn’t want Harper to be “stubborn” about accepting that Sam knows best. like just so many classic abusive relationship markers.
there are moments when Sam’s privilege makes him oblivious to the point of callousness (eg when Harper’s apartment building burns down and he’s is unable to save anything and Sam shrugs and tells him it’s nbd cuz his stuff wasn’t great anyhow and Sam’s money can buy more/better). he never listens to Harper’s needs cuz he knows best. Harper has a history of trauma and is just meant to accept everything cuz Sam’s a “good guy.”
every time Harper calls Sam on his assholery, Harper ends up being the one to apologise cuz Sam meant well and so how can Harper be so mean as to hold him accountable for his actions. when Harper points out how cushy Sam’s life is and how sheltered he is from the real world, Sam lashes out and whines that he works hard. then after all the talk of love and having each other’s backs and Harper trying to show up for Sam and taking all the abuse Sam’s father spewed at him, Sam is (not surprisingly) unprepared for the actual consequences of his actions.
he spends TWO DAYS ignoring Harper and being closed off from him and refusing to talk to him about what’s going on… then when Harper finally gets him to open up — he confesses that he’s been ignoring Harper cuz his dad told him that Harper’s an extortionist. and when Harper is understandably upset that Sam believes his dad, especially after everything he’s done and said, Sam freaks out cuz he can’t bear to have Harper mad at him and demands that Harper forgive him and talk things through with him. again, this is after ignoring him for two days. so Sam is allowed to be broody and have doubts and negative feels without sharing them, but Harper isn’t. cuz that’s fair and healthy…
and Sam is shocked when Harper leaves — not cuz it’s unwarranted but cuz he’d thought Harper didn’t have anyone he could call or anywhere he could go… which MASSIVE YIKES. Sam going on and on about how Harper could be hurt or dead on a ditch somewhere since he doesn’t have Sam taking care of him is so far out of line and shows a total lack of awareness of who Harper is (or the fact that he’s an adult who lived JUST FINE without Sam until a month prior).
and Harper’s sad little no friends who have their shit together life means his ex is the only person he can call and he gets BERATED for being so rigid and demanding perfection from Sam. like I’m not saying Harper is perfect or that he didn’t have shit to work on but the outrageously lopsided take is full-on horrifying. then Sam’s dad shows up and Harper is meant to forgive him and make nice cuz Spoiled Shit Sam is Sad. like Sam’s dad legit tells Harper he misjudged him and so Harper should forgive that — y’know cuz he’s just jaded and wanted to protect his naïve son. but he didn’t just misjudge. he INTENTIONALLY and MALICIOUSLY lied about Harper to Sam with the express purpose of breaking them up. then when his family was mad at him about it, he demands that Harper fix it. which lbr isn’t surprising considering Sam is an apple that didn’t fall far.
but like. you’re telling me that people read this and think it’s ROMANTIC? that THIS represents a healthy loving relationship?? like. you make me sad. this is the sort of book that makes me pity the author and anyone else who subscribes to this as goals. just. no. bbs. there is more and better out there.
I truly hope they break up and Harper gets to meet someone who values him for something other than being a hot bit of rough trade that’ll make daddy mad. we all deserve better than that :/
tbh if there was a way to give negative stars I’d do it for this pos. like. I kinda can’t believe this was written in earnest and not as a case study in why NWL politics are horrifying and in many ways worse than outright bigotry.
this entire story Sam ignores EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of Harper’s boundaries and we’re meant to think it’s adorably romantic stubbornness/persistence. it’s not. it’s gross. he basically stockholm syndromes Harper into sex and so-called love. makes all sorts of flowery speeches about how him taking care of Harper against his will is actually a good.
Harper is broke, literally broken (tho his injuries and his recovery time don’t line up at ALL), and loses his job/income at the start of the story. Sam railroads him into living together, handles his job sitch and pays his bills and ignores every boundary Harper tries to put in place. so like the problematic power dynamics are just OFF THE CHARTS—and ofc never get acknowledged. Sam holds all the power in this relationship and makes so many decisions FOR Harper without talking to him cuz he doesn’t want Harper to be “stubborn” about accepting that Sam knows best. like just so many classic abusive relationship markers.
there are moments when Sam’s privilege makes him oblivious to the point of callousness (eg when Harper’s apartment building burns down and he’s is unable to save anything and Sam shrugs and tells him it’s nbd cuz his stuff wasn’t great anyhow and Sam’s money can buy more/better). he never listens to Harper’s needs cuz he knows best. Harper has a history of trauma and is just meant to accept everything cuz Sam’s a “good guy.”
every time Harper calls Sam on his assholery, Harper ends up being the one to apologise cuz Sam meant well and so how can Harper be so mean as to hold him accountable for his actions. when Harper points out how cushy Sam’s life is and how sheltered he is from the real world, Sam lashes out and whines that he works hard. then after all the talk of love and having each other’s backs and Harper trying to show up for Sam and taking all the abuse Sam’s father spewed at him, Sam is (not surprisingly) unprepared for the actual consequences of his actions.
he spends TWO DAYS ignoring Harper and being closed off from him and refusing to talk to him about what’s going on… then when Harper finally gets him to open up — he confesses that he’s been ignoring Harper cuz his dad told him that Harper’s an extortionist. and when Harper is understandably upset that Sam believes his dad, especially after everything he’s done and said, Sam freaks out cuz he can’t bear to have Harper mad at him and demands that Harper forgive him and talk things through with him. again, this is after ignoring him for two days. so Sam is allowed to be broody and have doubts and negative feels without sharing them, but Harper isn’t. cuz that’s fair and healthy…
and Sam is shocked when Harper leaves — not cuz it’s unwarranted but cuz he’d thought Harper didn’t have anyone he could call or anywhere he could go… which MASSIVE YIKES. Sam going on and on about how Harper could be hurt or dead on a ditch somewhere since he doesn’t have Sam taking care of him is so far out of line and shows a total lack of awareness of who Harper is (or the fact that he’s an adult who lived JUST FINE without Sam until a month prior).
and Harper’s sad little no friends who have their shit together life means his ex is the only person he can call and he gets BERATED for being so rigid and demanding perfection from Sam. like I’m not saying Harper is perfect or that he didn’t have shit to work on but the outrageously lopsided take is full-on horrifying. then Sam’s dad shows up and Harper is meant to forgive him and make nice cuz Spoiled Shit Sam is Sad. like Sam’s dad legit tells Harper he misjudged him and so Harper should forgive that — y’know cuz he’s just jaded and wanted to protect his naïve son. but he didn’t just misjudge. he INTENTIONALLY and MALICIOUSLY lied about Harper to Sam with the express purpose of breaking them up. then when his family was mad at him about it, he demands that Harper fix it. which lbr isn’t surprising considering Sam is an apple that didn’t fall far.
but like. you’re telling me that people read this and think it’s ROMANTIC? that THIS represents a healthy loving relationship?? like. you make me sad. this is the sort of book that makes me pity the author and anyone else who subscribes to this as goals. just. no. bbs. there is more and better out there.
I truly hope they break up and Harper gets to meet someone who values him for something other than being a hot bit of rough trade that’ll make daddy mad. we all deserve better than that :/
June 4, 2019
What a fun ride...
I knew from the minute I read the blurb that this would be a great book. I liked Sam right away. He was a stand up guy and really sweet in his desire to help Harper. His dad, on the other hand, was awful. I seriously wanted to punch him in the face when he came into Harper's hospital room. That feeling got worst when I saw what a jerk he was to Sam.
I really liked the premise of this book. I liked Harper's independent nature and though I hated how he kept pushing Sam away, I understood it. Their relationship grew out of their closeness and I really liked watching them fight their attraction. You knew they weren't going to hold out for long. I admit that about half way through I questioned where else the story could go but Ms. Wynne had some tricks up her sleeve that brought Harper and Sam to their happily ever after with some angst and heartache along the way. And I loved it. I even softened a bit towards dear old dad. I still don't like him much but I don't want to punch him anymore either.
I knew from the minute I read the blurb that this would be a great book. I liked Sam right away. He was a stand up guy and really sweet in his desire to help Harper. His dad, on the other hand, was awful. I seriously wanted to punch him in the face when he came into Harper's hospital room. That feeling got worst when I saw what a jerk he was to Sam.
I really liked the premise of this book. I liked Harper's independent nature and though I hated how he kept pushing Sam away, I understood it. Their relationship grew out of their closeness and I really liked watching them fight their attraction. You knew they weren't going to hold out for long. I admit that about half way through I questioned where else the story could go but Ms. Wynne had some tricks up her sleeve that brought Harper and Sam to their happily ever after with some angst and heartache along the way. And I loved it. I even softened a bit towards dear old dad. I still don't like him much but I don't want to punch him anymore either.
June 16, 2019
That is a day I won't get back.
Beyond the fact that I can't let go of the fact that sh*ster is regularly used by people in one MC's life, there were a lot of problems I had with this book. It wasn't just editing and continuity that pulled me out of this story. It was...so much about this book. I loved the setup: bike courier gets hit by a senator's son, who decides he's going to move in to take care of him. I knew that Sam's closetedness was going to be a big part of the story, and I'm glad I didn't have to read another forced outing this year, but the entire political standing of this book confuses me. Did I read a gay Fox News novel? In what world would a democratic candidate try to spin his republican opponent's gay son coming out as a bad thing? I have so many weird, slimy feelings about the whole political tone of this book, and the fact that there was no leaning on the other end.
This is all to say I don't know why, but I did not enjoy this book. I have no idea how this was the one that ended up winning the Lambda for Gay Romance.
Beyond the fact that I can't let go of the fact that sh*ster is regularly used by people in one MC's life, there were a lot of problems I had with this book. It wasn't just editing and continuity that pulled me out of this story. It was...so much about this book. I loved the setup: bike courier gets hit by a senator's son, who decides he's going to move in to take care of him. I knew that Sam's closetedness was going to be a big part of the story, and I'm glad I didn't have to read another forced outing this year, but the entire political standing of this book confuses me. Did I read a gay Fox News novel? In what world would a democratic candidate try to spin his republican opponent's gay son coming out as a bad thing? I have so many weird, slimy feelings about the whole political tone of this book, and the fact that there was no leaning on the other end.
This is all to say I don't know why, but I did not enjoy this book. I have no idea how this was the one that ended up winning the Lambda for Gay Romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2020
Again another book where consent seems a loose concept. Few times where one character clearly stated he didn't want anything to continue but the second continued to push.
It felt a bit like the start of an abusive relationship with the continuing forcefulness of the "hero". Let me pay for everything, let me buy the thing for you, let me be in control of finances. I was very much on Harper's side about the independence necessary in his life.
I would have run a mile from someone hitting me with their car then insisting they spend all their time living with me, sharing my bed, and taking care of me. On reflection it shouldn't have been Harper's behaviour the Senator should have been wary of, but his own son's.
It felt a bit like the start of an abusive relationship with the continuing forcefulness of the "hero". Let me pay for everything, let me buy the thing for you, let me be in control of finances. I was very much on Harper's side about the independence necessary in his life.
I would have run a mile from someone hitting me with their car then insisting they spend all their time living with me, sharing my bed, and taking care of me. On reflection it shouldn't have been Harper's behaviour the Senator should have been wary of, but his own son's.
April 15, 2021
★★☆☆☆ - I think my expectations were high because the book won the Best Romance for the Lambda Awards in 2019 and the book sadly did not deliver for me. The MCs were both boring and the lack of communication was annoying. So much needless angst! If the MCs were college age I might understand some of the dumb behavior but they aren't. Also there were several instances of using the word "shyster" which is considered by some to be anti-Semitic which I found problematic. Kale Williams was solid as expected as narrator so I am giving it 2 stars but overall not one I would recommend.
May 28, 2020
I wanted to like this, but the rather clunky writing style was getting to me, and then presumption from the MC with the most power killed my interest. DNF at 43% I find it hard to believe this won an award. It reads a bit like a first novel, though the author'd been published awhile by the time it came out. Anyway, it wore on me, and then that thing that probably felt like a threat just slammed the door on my interest.
July 10, 2019
This book is a very easy and fast read. I feel like the premise had so much potential which unfortunately the body of pages did not live up to. There is little to no character development. The world this plays out in felt very flat and one dimensional. At times I felt like I was reading an early draft of a still being worked on novel.
December 23, 2019
Weak plot, poor character development, Needs Editing
The plot is a little too convenient. It feels forced. All of the characters use the same particular language and it’s odd. There aren’t that many people that regularly say “obstinate.” And there were grammatical errors.
The plot is a little too convenient. It feels forced. All of the characters use the same particular language and it’s odd. There aren’t that many people that regularly say “obstinate.” And there were grammatical errors.
March 15, 2024
At its core, this was a good story, but it has major flaws. First of all, way too much time is spent on the helping heal and just being friends part of the relationship. Sure, it’s realistic and healthy, but it’s fairly boring to read. The character setup could have happened in half the page time. As for the story, rather than the pacing… The biggest problem is sanctimonious Sam. His near saintliness is a bit much and his expectation that Harper should just let him take over everything because he has the money to fix Harper’s life is overbearing. The book keeps calling Harper “prideful” for needing to feel independent, instead of acknowledging that it wasn’t about pride, it was about trauma and survival. He needed to grow, but he wasn’t actually wrong. Also, who uses the word “prideful” that much? It gave it a vaguely religious feel (as did a few other small things). The second big problem is Sam’s father. He was a gross politician and seriously shitty father before he does something truly awful but then because he “humbles” himself enough to half-ass apologize -only for the big thing and only because he doesn’t like the consequences and only after he sees having an out and proud son actually helped his political career more than hurt it- he is just forgiven. Lastly, Sam had no character growth. He was supposed to be forgiven for a serious breach of trust because “he’s not perfect” and he never actually steps up except for coming out. It’s made clear that he’s not actually fulfilled by his job and he isn’t fully on board with his skeevy politician father, but he doesn’t even consider leaving that job or even getting his own home off his parent’s property. Harper just needs to take what Sam offers and not even have an opinion about where he lives or how much he deals with Sam’s toxic father and less than ideal mother (who doesn’t “mind” that her son is gay and fully supports her dishonest husband). This could have been a great story if Sam had had growth and it wasn’t just the rich and conservative family is right.
October 6, 2018
4.25 / 5 Stars
I really enjoy this author's stories, different but always showing the love.
Sam and Harper have great chemistry, which is the opening for a slow-burn romance, but a few obstacles between them: Harpers's distrust, Sam's meddlesome father, insecurities and doubts all over the place and a couple of misunderstandings. Either way, I liked both of them and felt especially more for Harper due to his issues.
The story is quick, sweet and low-angst, heart-warming with some very sweet moments.
Something that I could have done without is the half-naked torso in the cover, it's out of tune, the cover would be perfect like that.
I really enjoy this author's stories, different but always showing the love.
Sam and Harper have great chemistry, which is the opening for a slow-burn romance, but a few obstacles between them: Harpers's distrust, Sam's meddlesome father, insecurities and doubts all over the place and a couple of misunderstandings. Either way, I liked both of them and felt especially more for Harper due to his issues.
The story is quick, sweet and low-angst, heart-warming with some very sweet moments.
Something that I could have done without is the half-naked torso in the cover, it's out of tune, the cover would be perfect like that.
June 20, 2019
3.5 Stars. Very nice romance, well executed.
January 7, 2020
Coming out
This was a Cinderella story. Boy hits boy, the driver is rich so of course the other boy is working class. Minimal job prospects. Rich boy takes care of him . Maybe it was just me but I found this book on the cheesy side sorry for anyone who likes it.
This was a Cinderella story. Boy hits boy, the driver is rich so of course the other boy is working class. Minimal job prospects. Rich boy takes care of him . Maybe it was just me but I found this book on the cheesy side sorry for anyone who likes it.
June 5, 2019
Never turn down a gift
A great love story is this book ,the truth shall always come out,,,I believe the couple in this book found out the easy way.The author has written a great book
A great love story is this book ,the truth shall always come out,,,I believe the couple in this book found out the easy way.The author has written a great book
January 16, 2021
Loved it! The chemistry and the sweetness and the simple yet awesome injured hero plotline, mixed with slow burn freinds to lovers. I'm there for it all.
And one hella lovable cinnamon roll rich hero, too. Precious! The delightful angst didn't hurt any either.
And one hella lovable cinnamon roll rich hero, too. Precious! The delightful angst didn't hurt any either.
June 30, 2023
I was looking for a audiobook and I liked the last series I read by S.C.Wynne , so I tried this one.
It was a nice story, although at the end Harper was a bit on a high horse ...
Nevertheless a nice story
It was a nice story, although at the end Harper was a bit on a high horse ...
Nevertheless a nice story
June 24, 2019
Crashing into love
I'm not gonna lie, Sam had to grow on me. He was just so damn pushy but that turned out to be just what Harper needed and I did enjoy seeing Sam break down Harper's walls. All in all a very enjoyable read.
I'm not gonna lie, Sam had to grow on me. He was just so damn pushy but that turned out to be just what Harper needed and I did enjoy seeing Sam break down Harper's walls. All in all a very enjoyable read.
July 5, 2020
In this age-old love story, boy meets boy, boys fall in love. But this typical romance has an atypical beginning. Harper, a bike courier, is hit by the Senator’s son, Sam Foster. When Harper is unable to continue work because of his injuries, Sam takes it upon himself to nurse Harper back to health. Can the boys make their new-found love last between Harper’s trust issues and the Senator’s insistence that Harper is nothing but a con-artist out for their family’s money?
This book was AH-MAZING! So amazing that I read all 314 pages (in the paperback version) in one day. I’m a sucker for a good romance, but this romance was better than your typical sappy love story. Yes, there is drama and passion and it’s filled with steamy sex scenes, however, it portrays two men who both have very real issues that affect everyday relationships. Harper learns how to trust again, Sam shows him not all people have ulterior motives. Harper gives Sam the courage to be who he really is and have courage to come out of the closet despite his father’s insistence he remained firmly in.
Addressing issues not just found in male/male relationships, but in any relationship, this is a great read for everyone. I think it highlights real relationship issues unlike so many other romances that just seem so unrealistic. You get two different points of view, from two different walks of life. It’s easy to see just how different and alike these two different social classes are in both love and life.
There is heartache and love and the fierce emotion that comes with a first true love. This is a beautiful story written by S.C. Wynne, that you won’t want to miss.
This genre does not always get the recognition it deserves. Especially when it’s an LGBTQ+ romance.
This book was AH-MAZING! So amazing that I read all 314 pages (in the paperback version) in one day. I’m a sucker for a good romance, but this romance was better than your typical sappy love story. Yes, there is drama and passion and it’s filled with steamy sex scenes, however, it portrays two men who both have very real issues that affect everyday relationships. Harper learns how to trust again, Sam shows him not all people have ulterior motives. Harper gives Sam the courage to be who he really is and have courage to come out of the closet despite his father’s insistence he remained firmly in.
Addressing issues not just found in male/male relationships, but in any relationship, this is a great read for everyone. I think it highlights real relationship issues unlike so many other romances that just seem so unrealistic. You get two different points of view, from two different walks of life. It’s easy to see just how different and alike these two different social classes are in both love and life.
There is heartache and love and the fierce emotion that comes with a first true love. This is a beautiful story written by S.C. Wynne, that you won’t want to miss.
This genre does not always get the recognition it deserves. Especially when it’s an LGBTQ+ romance.
October 4, 2018
This story grabs your attention with the first line. Even though it's not what one might expect as the opening line for a romance novel, it absolutely hooked me and set the pace for the whole story. There’s an intense vibe that kept me turning the pages and made me not want to put it down. Immediately, we find out that Sam has just hit Harper, a bike messenger, with his car, sending him to the hospital. Sam feels horrible about this and readily accepts responsibility, offering to pay for everything and to take care of Harper until he’s back on his bike. Harper is skeptical to say the least but has literally no one else who could help him out. Sam’s father, who is a public figure, is not at all happy about Sam’s repeated claims of responsibility and offers of assistance. This creates tension in the situation as he has some pretty negative things to say about Harper as well as a few slightly insulting opinions of his own son. He accuses Sam of being too trusting of Harper and his motives, but we learn Sam knows who Harper is and has had a crush on him for a little while now. Sam does everything he can think of to keep Harper’s life as it was before the accident, which includes Sam sleeping on Harper’s couch in order to best take care of him. What follows is basically a story about trust and love. Harper learns that some people mean what they say and do follow through, building trust which opens the door for love. Unfortunately, Sam learns that someone you love can still betray your trust. I have to say I had a visceral reaction when Sam learned that lesson. I was totally swept up in this tale of opposites and thoroughly enjoyed their relationship journey.
I was given a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was given a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2020
I've just finished reading one book about one guy doing something good for a fellow man and fall in love with him. I don't really know witch book I liked the best, but let me tell you, this one is absolutely amazing.
Harper is a biker courier, by accident he gets run over but Sam whos been having a crush from afar on Harper for a while. Despite his fathers warnings that Harper is set out to exploit Sam, Sam still wants to take care of Harper and help him get back on his feet before he can retur to his job. Little by little even if Harper is fighting against it they slowly fall in love. But so much is thrown at Harper all the time, and he can't believe that a senetors son would even be remotely interested in him, why would he be?
I loved this book so much. Actually so much that I wish I was a millionaire so I would have to work but could stay up all night and just read, that I would have to go to work the day after, I don't want to put this book down before I finished. Both main characters are so loveable. Sam for all his good deeds without inhabitations and Harper, well just because his is Harper, read the book and you will understand what I'm talking about. This book is what you could call 'I'll worm my way into your heart romance.' And of cause with a happy ending, just the way I like them. The story and the development the things that are thrown their way and the background stories of them both is so catching.
I would have loved if Harper actually would have meet his parents in the end and rub his relationship with Sam in their faces (I know, I can't help being a cruel bitch sometimes).
Amazing read.
Harper is a biker courier, by accident he gets run over but Sam whos been having a crush from afar on Harper for a while. Despite his fathers warnings that Harper is set out to exploit Sam, Sam still wants to take care of Harper and help him get back on his feet before he can retur to his job. Little by little even if Harper is fighting against it they slowly fall in love. But so much is thrown at Harper all the time, and he can't believe that a senetors son would even be remotely interested in him, why would he be?
I loved this book so much. Actually so much that I wish I was a millionaire so I would have to work but could stay up all night and just read, that I would have to go to work the day after, I don't want to put this book down before I finished. Both main characters are so loveable. Sam for all his good deeds without inhabitations and Harper, well just because his is Harper, read the book and you will understand what I'm talking about. This book is what you could call 'I'll worm my way into your heart romance.' And of cause with a happy ending, just the way I like them. The story and the development the things that are thrown their way and the background stories of them both is so catching.
I would have loved if Harper actually would have meet his parents in the end and rub his relationship with Sam in their faces (I know, I can't help being a cruel bitch sometimes).
Amazing read.
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