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Blind Man's Buff
A game of Capture the Flag turns deadly inside an abandoned shopping mall when Tommy and Jonah stumble into a homicidal maniac’s playground.
82 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 29, 2020
About the author
L.B. Gregg
25 books627 followersLB Gregg (Lisabea) writes fun, fast-paced contemporary male/male romances for a variety of publishers including Riptide, Samhain, and Carina Press. Her wildly successful Men of Smithfield books feature hot, hunky men looking for love in small town New England. Find more information about LB, The Men of Smithfield, and her fun series Romano and Albright at www.lbgregg.com.
You can also friend LB on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lb.gregg.1
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You can also friend LB on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lb.gregg.1
Like her author page http://on.fb.me/216EIiF
Or follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lb.gregg/
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 28, 2023
I loved it
narrated by Kale Williams (loved the audio!)
as published in FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK, An M/M Mystery Romance Anthology, 2019
__mini Review__
•narrative voice with humor
•nerds in action
it's definitely different from what I read so far
• m̶y̶s̶t̶e̶r̶y̶ thriller as main plot
and not the one-hero or duo-hero style or anything like this
• mmromance
I loved what moment in their relationship the author chose to start the novella. It was another unique choice imo, fitting, to avoid the romance to be rushed (which is hard in a short story that introduces completely new characters)
yes, there's a hot minute too and it hit just right for me
(if you look for more focus on the romance more sex on page, this book isn't for you)
__More stories like this by L.B.Gregg?__
Unfortunately, from what I understood, the author doesn't seem to write more stories like this. The only other series that comes close would be Catch Me If You Can, but it doesn't seem to be available (there were plans to re-publish it after revision but that's news from 5 years ago)
clicks [follow the author]
If nothing bad is causing issues, maybe a new rise of positive feedback will spark her motivation to write/publish again
narrated by Kale Williams (loved the audio!)
as published in FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK, An M/M Mystery Romance Anthology, 2019
__mini Review__
•narrative voice with humor
•nerds in action
it's definitely different from what I read so far
• m̶y̶s̶t̶e̶r̶y̶ thriller as main plot
and not the one-hero or duo-hero style or anything like this
• mmromance
I loved what moment in their relationship the author chose to start the novella. It was another unique choice imo, fitting, to avoid the romance to be rushed (which is hard in a short story that introduces completely new characters)
yes, there's a hot minute too and it hit just right for me
(if you look for more focus on the romance more sex on page, this book isn't for you)
__More stories like this by L.B.Gregg?__
Unfortunately, from what I understood, the author doesn't seem to write more stories like this. The only other series that comes close would be Catch Me If You Can, but it doesn't seem to be available (there were plans to re-publish it after revision but that's news from 5 years ago)
clicks [follow the author]
If nothing bad is causing issues, maybe a new rise of positive feedback will spark her motivation to write/publish again
April 5, 2025
TEN THOUSAND STARS!
I read this book as part of the anthology Footsteps in the Dark, which consists of eight m/m murder mystery romances, including works by Dal Maclean and Josh Lanyon, two of my FAVORITE authors ever. So of course, I went into this book expecting lots of good stuff.
Alas, the first 3 novels I read were all duds. Two-star ratings at best. Then I went on and read the blurb for the fourth novel: "A game of Capture the Flag turns deadly inside an abandoned shopping mall when Tommy and Jonah stumble into a homicidal maniac’s playground." And I thought... oh, hell no. There is no way in hell I am gonna like this novel. I should skip. AND THANK GOD I DIDN'T SKIP BECAUSE IT WAS SOOOOOOO DAMNN GOOOOOOD!
This is now one of my favorite novels EVER! Like, up there in my shelf of favorites with Natasha Pulley and Josh Lanyon and KJ Charles! I mean this was INCREDIBLE!
So, the reason I thought I wasn't gonna like this book is because I'm not super into young main characters in romance novels. I've read them all, and I always prefer my boys to be somewhere between their early thirties and late forties. College romances do not interest me in the slightest, let alone anything younger than that. And knowing these dudes are playing Capture the Flag... well, my mind went straight to camp, and I wasn't intrigued.
Ten pages in, I knew how wrong I'd been, and I already knew how much I would LOVE this absolutely insane novella.
See, our main characters ARE playing Capture the Flag in an abandoned shopping mall. What the blurb doesn't tell us (and really, it should) is that our MCs are not kids. They're high school teachers! Now, we don't get an actual age for any of them, but I've placed them at around early thirties. So, what we've really got here is a group of men (and woman) who teach high school in the day and parkour at night. I MEAN OMFG THIS IS BRILLIANT.
Not just that, Tommy, our POV character is a science lab teacher, so yeah, he's a computer nerd. Computer games, board games (probably roleplaying too aaaaaa) you get the gist. BUT he's also into parkour? YES hell YES! The other members of their little troupe include a history teacher, a gym teacher (former gymnast omfg) and a science teacher. There are two other teachers but their subjects aren't mentioned. The thing is, as a teacher myself who LOVES games, I identify with them so much!
There's something incredibly relatable about adults who work full time in the education system, but in a sense, they're still kids at heart. The fact that they do this EVERY FRIDAY just makes it even better. I knew I was in for a treat when I read Tommy's description of the mall:
And what's even better than ALL THAT? The fact that Tommy, the science lab teacher, has a MASSIVE crush on Jonah, the science teacher. And he's planning to make a move on him as soon as the game begins.
I can't. I just can't.
Tommy's voice is pitch perfect, he's funny, witty, very smart AND super horny. He is an absolute pleasure to read because he's such a nerd in many ways:
But he's also a teacher, and when they find Tommy quickly slides back into the role of responsible adult and takes charge of the situation. Cool, unafraid (well, a little afraid) and with a mission. His mission? Make sure everyone makes it out alive.
There's no smut in this story, but I didn't mind in the slightest. There's a really hot scene between him and Jonah in the first chapter, but that's it. The rest of the novella is just action-packed hilarity and vivid descriptions of dangerous situations. The ending is incredibly satisfying and at some point near the end, Jonah drops an incredible line of pure wisdom:
I can't praise this book enough. I've never read anything by L.B. Gregg before but I'M GONNA. Immediately. This is the kind of writing I've been in search for all my life and now that I've found it, I'm not gonna let go.
Also, I'm gonna start campaigning for this to become a series or something because I find it difficult to let go of these characters, even though I've only known them for 82 pages.
I read this book as part of the anthology Footsteps in the Dark, which consists of eight m/m murder mystery romances, including works by Dal Maclean and Josh Lanyon, two of my FAVORITE authors ever. So of course, I went into this book expecting lots of good stuff.
Alas, the first 3 novels I read were all duds. Two-star ratings at best. Then I went on and read the blurb for the fourth novel: "A game of Capture the Flag turns deadly inside an abandoned shopping mall when Tommy and Jonah stumble into a homicidal maniac’s playground." And I thought... oh, hell no. There is no way in hell I am gonna like this novel. I should skip. AND THANK GOD I DIDN'T SKIP BECAUSE IT WAS SOOOOOOO DAMNN GOOOOOOD!
This is now one of my favorite novels EVER! Like, up there in my shelf of favorites with Natasha Pulley and Josh Lanyon and KJ Charles! I mean this was INCREDIBLE!
So, the reason I thought I wasn't gonna like this book is because I'm not super into young main characters in romance novels. I've read them all, and I always prefer my boys to be somewhere between their early thirties and late forties. College romances do not interest me in the slightest, let alone anything younger than that. And knowing these dudes are playing Capture the Flag... well, my mind went straight to camp, and I wasn't intrigued.
Ten pages in, I knew how wrong I'd been, and I already knew how much I would LOVE this absolutely insane novella.
See, our main characters ARE playing Capture the Flag in an abandoned shopping mall. What the blurb doesn't tell us (and really, it should) is that our MCs are not kids. They're high school teachers! Now, we don't get an actual age for any of them, but I've placed them at around early thirties. So, what we've really got here is a group of men (and woman) who teach high school in the day and parkour at night. I MEAN OMFG THIS IS BRILLIANT.
Not just that, Tommy, our POV character is a science lab teacher, so yeah, he's a computer nerd. Computer games, board games (probably roleplaying too aaaaaa) you get the gist. BUT he's also into parkour? YES hell YES! The other members of their little troupe include a history teacher, a gym teacher (former gymnast omfg) and a science teacher. There are two other teachers but their subjects aren't mentioned. The thing is, as a teacher myself who LOVES games, I identify with them so much!
There's something incredibly relatable about adults who work full time in the education system, but in a sense, they're still kids at heart. The fact that they do this EVERY FRIDAY just makes it even better. I knew I was in for a treat when I read Tommy's description of the mall:
Lonely. Bleak. Isolated. Earthy. Empty. And fucking perfect.
And what's even better than ALL THAT? The fact that Tommy, the science lab teacher, has a MASSIVE crush on Jonah, the science teacher. And he's planning to make a move on him as soon as the game begins.
I can't. I just can't.
Tommy's voice is pitch perfect, he's funny, witty, very smart AND super horny. He is an absolute pleasure to read because he's such a nerd in many ways:
“You okay?” he mouthed, searching my face, and I nodded.
“Yeah. You?”
The usual terse nod from him, and I admit I rather liked that about him, and he did look fine to me. His cheek had stopped bleeding. He squeezed my hand, I squeezed back—we were boyfriends now—and he let go, attention pinned on the door again.
But he's also a teacher, and when they find Tommy quickly slides back into the role of responsible adult and takes charge of the situation. Cool, unafraid (well, a little afraid) and with a mission. His mission? Make sure everyone makes it out alive.
There's no smut in this story, but I didn't mind in the slightest. There's a really hot scene between him and Jonah in the first chapter, but that's it. The rest of the novella is just action-packed hilarity and vivid descriptions of dangerous situations. The ending is incredibly satisfying and at some point near the end, Jonah drops an incredible line of pure wisdom:
"Every adventure story ever written puts us in the role of protagonists. Hold that thought."
I can't praise this book enough. I've never read anything by L.B. Gregg before but I'M GONNA. Immediately. This is the kind of writing I've been in search for all my life and now that I've found it, I'm not gonna let go.
Also, I'm gonna start campaigning for this to become a series or something because I find it difficult to let go of these characters, even though I've only known them for 82 pages.
February 21, 2021
This started off a little slow but I soon got enthralled with the hunt and chase and of course the great characters. Grown men playing capture the flag in an deserted mall encounter more than then bargained for. A well told story with a little bit of danger thrown in plus some great kisses and love story.
November 7, 2025
Captivating. Thrilling. A ride that has you on the edge of your seat in anxiety.
Trapped in an abandoned mall with a serial killer hunting them.
(I listened to this in the “Footsteps In The Dark” collection of stories)
Trapped in an abandoned mall with a serial killer hunting them.
(I listened to this in the “Footsteps In The Dark” collection of stories)
November 17, 2023
Struggled to get into this one at first, but once it hit its stride I was hooked.
The romance is very low key.
Read in Footprints in the Dark antho.
The romance is very low key.
Read in Footprints in the Dark antho.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews