Thirst

Unexpected Attraction #1

by Jaylen Florian

Teasing was all it was ever supposed to be...

On summer break from his graduate studies at the university, Kirk is surrounded by irresistible and enticing men when he lands some temporary jobs off campus.

But all Kirk can really do is flirt with these guys. They might be quite rowdy, macho, and playful, especially at the neighborhood pub where Kirk works as a bar back during the late night shift. Ultimately, however, they're not attracted to other men.

Or are they...?

One thing is certain for Kirk. He desperately needs big life changes and a fresh start. Burned out from being overly devoted to his studies, as well as being financially strained and extremely lonely, he feels rock-bottom empty.

Read today to discover whether Kirk, against all odds, finds that one of the men, once considered hopelessly out of reach, might offer him surprising fulfillment.

"Thirst," the first book in the Unexpected Attraction series, contains passionate and mature romantic themes, and can be read as a stand alone story.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Queer, Gay, Amazon, College

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2019

Reviews

[Ed Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 and 1/2 stars. I just really didn’t care for this book. I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I’ve complained before about the way Jaylen writes. I’ve decided that it’s actually too articulate and formal. I think it’s the reason I have trouble connecting with the characters. I also felt this book had very little plot. I just don’t feel like Jaylen and I are a good fit. This is my third book by this author and I don’t anticipate reading any more.

[Coco.V]

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[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burned out, needing a fresh start, financially strained, and lonely, Kirk Dugan is working night shift in a bar surrounded by rowdy and playful men, all of whom are straight. The job he applied for, because he had no clue what it was, consisted basically of bussing tables, known as a “bar back”. He would be responsible for collecting the glasses, wiping the tables and booths, refreshing supplies, mopping the floor, answering the phone, cleaning the bathrooms, and anything else needed. On his feet the entire time, he was told he should never stop moving or he would be fired. But he needed a job, so he took it. An attractive, fit, middle-aged man wheeled his bicycle in to pick up his pay and was introduced to Kirk. Ralston Flynn was the bartender. Jack told Kirk to be there by 7 p.m. and he was all set, but he wasn’t sure he would be happy if he had to make special trips to ask for his paycheck.

Stepping outside, Ralston had waited for him, having noticed his disappointment. He told him to give the job a try and he would teach him and give him a fair cut of his tips. To his surprise, Sigaro is not a dive but a hangout for people who enjoy each other’s company. Kirk meets the regulars and lots of other people. He is friendly to the customers and seems to be gathering potential relationships in some cases. Will he finally find the boyfriend he would really like to end up with?

[AND 1515 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its My Life And...
by and1515

Burning both ends of the proverbial candle was having tremendous effects on me and in the end I still lost the one thing I'd been desperate to hold on to.
Now I'm in an ever worse situation and there aren't to many options the first place I went to had already hired someone and the last place was probably my only hope.
But here I am and its a total different environment then I'm really use to however soon its not as bad as I first had thought. Nevertheless some how I lost my stupid mind and end up deep sixing my other employment at the video place and that really stung.
Not with standing trying to navigate my life and still keep myself sane should be considered a full time occupation.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anne Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
One man's struggle to find someone to share his life with.
This book is about Kirk who needed to find work over the summer so he could afford to go back to university when the new term started.
He started working at a bar where he meets different men. Its about the different relationships he has with each man. He is getting very lonely and finds comfort in one man who only wants to be friends. But Kirk doesn't give up.
I found this book lacking in excitement I found my self putting this book down with is a shame because I really liked the story linen and Kirk is a good guy a bit gullible and immature but he has a good heart.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[DeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
The blurb had promise so I gave it a try. Lonely but totally likable young college Kirk looking for a fresh start takes on a hard demanding on your feet job as a bar back in what he thought was a rowdy dive bar with mostly straight guys. Turns out Sigaro is not at all what it seemed to be. With the help of older good looking Ralston, he learns to find his groove. We follow Kirk as told in his POV while he makes friends, finds romance, all while looking for that "one" special person to make his life complete.
It was an easy read, entertaining enough, but lacked any real excitement and kind of left me with a not sure what the future holds ending. Maybe we will see him again in another book.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm really liking her ideas and her style. The previous book, Longing -which was amazing - is actually book 2 in this series, although they can be read alone, the only connection is the place they are set in. This book, book 1, is set back in time, to 1992, and the mc, 22 year old Kirk, has the whole graduate school summer vacation ahead of him and he desperately needs to find work, these jobs introduce him to a variety of people that fill this story, it's really entertaining. There is romance, chemistry, and let downs as Kirk searches for new friends and also someone special. There is no angst here, a few 'oh dear' moments but lots of laughs and hand to head slaps.

[Tena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - The story explores a variety of types of relationships, and follows Kirk through his summer break from college. I'm not sure if it's the characters or the writing style, but I found the story choppy and a little confusing. Kirk's actions and motivations are often vague and, while there's quite a bit of internal dialog, I still struggled with understanding Kirk's decisions. I was left with a feeling of an incomplete or abbreviated story, like I was part of a conversation at a party and couldn't hear everything being said so I ended missing some of the details.

[Nora · Rating 1 out of 5]

BLAH. This is just a personal one star of disappointment. Cause I shipped him was Ralston and wanted to see him with Ralston and was thinking maybe Ralston was someone who just didn't do relationships much and Kirk was his exception, and it was so cute how the guy took him under his wing at work and looked at for him and wanted to see Them happen. But nope, it wasn't meant to be. So the one star is just because my ship sunk and they stayed Just Friends. SIGH.

[Heather Rawlins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked Thirst, going back to 1992 was cool, when I was about the same age as Kirk. I liked how Kirk and his love interest eventually figured it all out. I thought it was neat how we met so many people as part of Kirk’s life. The story was quick, fast-paced, sweet and sexy. I definitely recommend this book.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great read. The storyline was interesting and entertaining. I found the characters likable and they had great chemistry. The story moved at a good pace and was a smooth read. Overall an enjoyable story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow Burning, Raunchy Angst

God, this book took me on a whirl wind ride. I've never had my hopes up and dashed so many times in one book. Talk about multiple heartbreak/Ache all in one. I didn't know who to cheer for, I'm glad though they found each other in the end. So worth the wild ride

[Rebecca Zabik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a great story. It has a lot of romantic scenes and chemistry between the characters. Really enjoyed the ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[KAM HADLEY · Rating 3 out of 5]

something not quite right

Maybe there were too many side characters that didn’t matter, but I ended up not connecting with the ones that ended up mattering. There is a melancholy feel even when it’s supposed to feel happy.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. I appreciated the ownvoices perspective but the writing was clunky and the book needed better editing. If this is an example of early work I can see this author writing some interesting books later on… but I’m done for now.

[Jackie Berkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

So real, just wow

The foreword of the author was perfect for preparing me for a book with such depth in emotion and life.
Will reread again guaranteed for the many gems of perspective I surely missed on 1st reading.
Absolutely marvellous read.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5- I felt it was more a series of vignettes than a cohesive book, especially in the first half. There wasn't a solid flow or storyline, and the characters were underdeveloped.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fast read but I wasn't a big fan of the writing.

[Pete Woollven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

A beautiful story well written and a great cast of characters and story line absolutely loved it. It was sensitive and beautiful

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

Extremely well written..held my short attention span in a death grip from start to finish. On my way to search for more from this author 😁

[Hmmm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kirk and Zane

[C.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't give up hope! Kirk, grad student working as a bar back while on break, lightly flirts with the customers. Kirk is in a financial social slump. He goes job shopping and runs into Ralston, bartender in a dump, Sigaro willing to mentor him. Ralston is a good help and helps Kirk learn his job. Kirk meets many people and develops many relationships. He makes friends easily. The story was superficial and strolls through Kirk's life at Sigaro. The characters were very one dimensional. The book cover doesn't match the story content. I recevied an ARC from Booksprout for a review.

[T Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story had me all over the place, not
in a bad way, though. Following Kirk as he bounced around in his friendships and his personal life was intriguing. His relationship with Ralston was something but his eventual romance with Zane was worth waiting for. Interesting story, some twists, as far as relationships go, but mostly just a good, slightly roaming around, romance with a happy ending. .

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kirk is a struggling university student that spends his summer break working, contemplating, finding some personal growth, and being on the giving end of several encounters before finally getting a boyfriend.
This story is told in first person POV as recollections of his past, has some interesting interactions, and had an ending that is sort of hopeful but kind of leaves you hanging.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters and an intriguing story line. The author dies a great job pulling you in with the twists as well as the romance. It's an entertaining story,moves quickly and smoothly and I enjoyed reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[L H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a look in at the life that Kirk has had as he is trying to find himself and where he is going to be. We wander along with him as he seeks growth and tries things until he finally lands in a relationship. Interesting look in at Kirk finding his path romantically.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Courtney Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this book is definitely about self exploration. A young gay man in the 90s trying to figure out his worth. And he ends up finding love in an unlikely person. I really enjoyed this story! I’m excited to read the next book in the series

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mim Crenshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed reading about Kirk's growth, especially romantically. You get to see his attempts and thoughts that actually leads him to find love. I just felt like I was kinda left hanging without knowing how the future played out, but it was a good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Urszula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It is well written with good story telling. Kirk needs ... but what... friends, lovers maybe more? Good reality and background. Complex relationships among people. I definitely will look for more books like this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirk is in college and needs to get a job during summer break. He gets a job at a neighborhood bar. He isn't sure he's going to like working there but he ends up making friends and finding love. I enjoyed the book.