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Worth the Wait
MM Romantic Comedy.
Lonely accountant Bill Fairburn has given up on love. At this point he’d settle for any kind of social life, but despite what the blogs and magazines say, it’s not that easy to meet new people. He joined a gym six months ago because that’s what all the advice articles told him to do, and so far? Crickets. He’s working up to it, okay?
And then matters are taken out of his hands, thanks to an unconventional meet-cute that isn’t going to make it onto any top ten romantic moments lists any time soon.
Suddenly Bill has the attention of hot young personal trainer Steve, who seems…interested?
No.
That can’t be right.
…can it?
Worth the Wait is an age-gap, opposites-attract romantic comedy short with a meet-cute you’ll never forget (you’ll try, though) in which the proper form in weight training is taken very seriously, accidents do happen but don’t worry, no one needs surgery in the end, and a hot young jock and a middle-aged nerd have quite the surprising chemistry.
(14 000 words)
Lonely accountant Bill Fairburn has given up on love. At this point he’d settle for any kind of social life, but despite what the blogs and magazines say, it’s not that easy to meet new people. He joined a gym six months ago because that’s what all the advice articles told him to do, and so far? Crickets. He’s working up to it, okay?
And then matters are taken out of his hands, thanks to an unconventional meet-cute that isn’t going to make it onto any top ten romantic moments lists any time soon.
Suddenly Bill has the attention of hot young personal trainer Steve, who seems…interested?
No.
That can’t be right.
…can it?
Worth the Wait is an age-gap, opposites-attract romantic comedy short with a meet-cute you’ll never forget (you’ll try, though) in which the proper form in weight training is taken very seriously, accidents do happen but don’t worry, no one needs surgery in the end, and a hot young jock and a middle-aged nerd have quite the surprising chemistry.
(14 000 words)
53 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2021
85 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Murray
12 books405 followersIsabel is a writer, a reader, and a lover of love. She couldn’t stick to a subgenre if her life depended on it, but MM romance is her jam. She lives in the UK, reads way too much, and cannot be trusted anywhere near chocolate.
Website: https://isabelmurrayauthor.com
Other links: https://isabelmurray.carrd.co
Website: https://isabelmurrayauthor.com
Other links: https://isabelmurray.carrd.co
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
April 13, 2022
4.5 rounded down.
This is a very cute, very funny novella. I don't have much to say about it, but I do want to comment on the fact that it is being marketed as an "age-gap" story. The age difference is eight years, and the characters are 28 and 36. Is that what we call an age gap these days? Because, like, I'm sorry, but that's only an age gap for the younger set. For people of that age range (of which I am one, oops), this really wouldn't be considered a wide enough difference in ages to cause more than five minutes of thought.
Anyways, sorry, I just needed to get that out. This is the second thing I've read by Isabel Murray and I am very impressed. I love this author's writing and I can't wait to read more!
This is a very cute, very funny novella. I don't have much to say about it, but I do want to comment on the fact that it is being marketed as an "age-gap" story. The age difference is eight years, and the characters are 28 and 36. Is that what we call an age gap these days? Because, like, I'm sorry, but that's only an age gap for the younger set. For people of that age range (of which I am one, oops), this really wouldn't be considered a wide enough difference in ages to cause more than five minutes of thought.
Anyways, sorry, I just needed to get that out. This is the second thing I've read by Isabel Murray and I am very impressed. I love this author's writing and I can't wait to read more!
Read
October 24, 2023DNF 61% - no rating
It feels weird to DNF a 63-page novella, but I'm bored and don't care about either MC, probably because I have yet again picked up a romcom knowing full well I don't like them. 🙄
Too dramatic and too many jokes for me, but will probably suit anyone who isn't grumpy and a killjoy. 😃
It feels weird to DNF a 63-page novella, but I'm bored and don't care about either MC, probably because I have yet again picked up a romcom knowing full well I don't like them. 🙄
Too dramatic and too many jokes for me, but will probably suit anyone who isn't grumpy and a killjoy. 😃
September 8, 2022
Tags: Gym bro, accountant, long term crush, novella, comedy
This was so cute! I'm not always a fan of romantic comedies, but this had me chuckling. My only complaint is that it's so short, I wanted to see more of this couple.
Would recommend!
This was so cute! I'm not always a fan of romantic comedies, but this had me chuckling. My only complaint is that it's so short, I wanted to see more of this couple.
Would recommend!
May 4, 2023
An ok novel.
It tried hard to be funny.. maybe I wasn't in the right mood? I found it a bit bland, had hoped for more (more cuteness? quirkyness? awkwardness?)
3 stars.
It tried hard to be funny.. maybe I wasn't in the right mood? I found it a bit bland, had hoped for more (more cuteness? quirkyness? awkwardness?)
3 stars.
January 1, 2023
Short and sweet. I liked it a lot!
July 21, 2022
Very cute.
Funny, cute, and a sweet, quick read. I liked both Bill and Steve and my biggest complaint would be I would've loved to have more story.
Funny, cute, and a sweet, quick read. I liked both Bill and Steve and my biggest complaint would be I would've loved to have more story.
December 9, 2021
OK, this author's humor is very much my type of humor - snark, sass, self-deprecating, with lots of feels and heart. Which means it won't be for everyone - but my first thought wants to compare this to an Alice Winters type of humor, and I loved it.
There is also a way to get a short story that is from Steve's POV too, at the end of this story.
There is also a way to get a short story that is from Steve's POV too, at the end of this story.
November 21, 2022
Interstitial gym bro + accountant fluff novella which is exactly what I needed in between reading my giant pile of ARCs.
April 28, 2023
For a book that opens with [redacted], this was 60 pages of smile.
June 6, 2023
This was a short, funny and sweet read.
October 1, 2024
This was cute but it was really just generic, pointless fluff. The MCs were the same as for many other jock-nerd pairings and the plot was very minimal and 99% of it was predictable. I did like that the author flipped around the usual jock-nerd dynamic at the beginning by having their initial meeting involve the jock throwing up on the nerd and getting really embarrassed, while it usually happens the other way around. Unfortunately, there was nothing else special or particularly interesting here.
The story was also really short but it's even shorter than the page count makes it out to be. The reason it's 53 pages instead of just 40 is because multiple conversations between the MCs are filled with repetition and also bantering that quickly becomes annoying.
I also didn't like the age gap between the characters and how the author treated it. I recently read another story that included a late-20s vs late-30s age gap but it was handled much better there because the age gap had an important impact on the plot. In this case, the author wrote both MCs as being generic 20-something year old guys except the 36 year old constantly called himself old. Bill could have been the exact same age as Steve and it wouldn't have changed anything in the story and that's just bad writing.
I also hated that the minimal amount of conflict in the story only consisted of manufactured drama that the author created by having the MCs act in ways that made no sense. For example, . Another example: .
I understand that this is the author's first book but it kind of annoys me that it's clearly a generic, warm-up piece yet the author is charging money for it. This story is basically a little pile of nothing and the companion novella (called (Nice Guys Are) Worth Waiting For, which retells the first half of this story from Steve's POV) was also mostly nothing.
The story was also really short but it's even shorter than the page count makes it out to be. The reason it's 53 pages instead of just 40 is because multiple conversations between the MCs are filled with repetition and also bantering that quickly becomes annoying.
I also didn't like the age gap between the characters and how the author treated it. I recently read another story that included a late-20s vs late-30s age gap but it was handled much better there because the age gap had an important impact on the plot. In this case, the author wrote both MCs as being generic 20-something year old guys except the 36 year old constantly called himself old. Bill could have been the exact same age as Steve and it wouldn't have changed anything in the story and that's just bad writing.
I also hated that the minimal amount of conflict in the story only consisted of manufactured drama that the author created by having the MCs act in ways that made no sense. For example, . Another example: .
I understand that this is the author's first book but it kind of annoys me that it's clearly a generic, warm-up piece yet the author is charging money for it. This story is basically a little pile of nothing and the companion novella (called (Nice Guys Are) Worth Waiting For, which retells the first half of this story from Steve's POV) was also mostly nothing.
January 29, 2022
I gave this a go because I enjoyed Isabel Murray's style in her novel Catch and Release. And the writing was once again witty and snarky and fun, but the story was, regrettably, forgettable. It's too short to leave much of an impression, and I can't say that I'm wildly into the gym background (seriously, does anyone join a gym to make friends??). Cute, but insubstantial.
May 15, 2022
I didn’t realize quite how short this was, and was sad when it was over. I do wish there was more on-page of them getting to know each other versus off page, past observations of each other. But still, super cute!
May 18, 2022
3.5 stars. Cute but needed to be longer.
September 28, 2022
3.5 rounded up
This was cute and charming, and very sweet. The plot itself was simple, and not necessarily one that I would read just based on the premise, but as a fan of Murray's It's Complicated, I wanted more of her sense of humor. And for a light read that made me smile, this definitely delivered.
This was cute and charming, and very sweet. The plot itself was simple, and not necessarily one that I would read just based on the premise, but as a fan of Murray's It's Complicated, I wanted more of her sense of humor. And for a light read that made me smile, this definitely delivered.
September 9, 2022
I could've read many, many more pages of these two but sometimes it's nice to read about two people meeting and going on a cute date. Loved it <3
December 8, 2022
Short
Sweet
Fun
Sweet
Fun
July 9, 2023
Adorable and hilarious! Btw, this makes four 5 star reviews for this author from me. I've loved 100% of what I've read by them so far.
September 19, 2023
3.5 rounded up. super short and sweet and cute. nothing groundbreaking here, but it was a fun read.
January 17, 2023
Your dream guy was in love with you all the time you were pining for him.
Okay, yes, that's a perfectly respectable trope of which I am actually quite fond, charmingly and wittily (and briefly) rendered.
But Murray really shines when she's got a larger canvas to paint on. This title is for those of us who already love her.
Okay, yes, that's a perfectly respectable trope of which I am actually quite fond, charmingly and wittily (and briefly) rendered.
But Murray really shines when she's got a larger canvas to paint on. This title is for those of us who already love her.
March 27, 2025
Short but satisfying!
I loved Catch and Release and promptly decided I needed more from this author. This one is only 14k but was super enjoyable and had lots of fun moments—plus an unexpected praise kink!
I loved Catch and Release and promptly decided I needed more from this author. This one is only 14k but was super enjoyable and had lots of fun moments—plus an unexpected praise kink!
June 25, 2021
I just couldn't get it to be fun for me at all. Didn't work for me.
Read
March 2, 2024I’m pretty much going to read the author’s complete oeuvre as I have gotten so much pleasure from ‘Gary #2’ and ‘Catch and Release’, both now on my Best Reads shelf.
This is an early book of theirs and it shows that the writer has now become better at delivering a solid relationship full of feels and sexual chemistry.
The age gap, meet funny, can’t believe this hunk is into me story, is a familiar one. There is constant dialogue and it is amusing, similar to an Alice Winters word vomit by a character. The dialogue was there, but the foundation for it wasn’t. There was no depth to the developing relationship and the writing was clunky in places. I think it is very cool that the author has developed into a talented writer of MM romance, delivering imaginative story lines and memorable characters.
This is an early book of theirs and it shows that the writer has now become better at delivering a solid relationship full of feels and sexual chemistry.
The age gap, meet funny, can’t believe this hunk is into me story, is a familiar one. There is constant dialogue and it is amusing, similar to an Alice Winters word vomit by a character. The dialogue was there, but the foundation for it wasn’t. There was no depth to the developing relationship and the writing was clunky in places. I think it is very cool that the author has developed into a talented writer of MM romance, delivering imaginative story lines and memorable characters.
July 2, 2022
This was a pretty short novella that took me almost three days to finish. I think I may be done with this author. I am an epilogue loving reader and the one in here literally took place the day after the last scene in the book. I thought I really liked her style and lack of dual pov, but I feel like it hindered my experience a lot. If she releases another book I may try and give it a go. This one was pretty middle of the road. It was fast paced with enough character building to enjoy when the two finally got together at the end.
July 17, 2022
Recently read Catch and Release by this author and adored it, so wanted to explore her backlist. Unfortunately, this didn't blow me away nearly as much as CaR, but it was still a cute, sweet, funny story. Novella, actually. I believe the author has one other book out there and it seems very highly reviewed. Excited to dive in :)
July 18, 2022
Unconventional ice breaker
Such a good little story! The not meet-cute is indeed very not cute, but it is a meet nevertheless and full of plenty of reason to start talking. From there comes all of the uncertainty and hopefulness and amusement of trying to figure out a relationship. A good fun read with some great characters!
Such a good little story! The not meet-cute is indeed very not cute, but it is a meet nevertheless and full of plenty of reason to start talking. From there comes all of the uncertainty and hopefulness and amusement of trying to figure out a relationship. A good fun read with some great characters!
August 11, 2022
Short but cute
A short but cute story featuring a jock falling for an awkward accountant who thinks the hunky guy from the gym is way out of his league. I've been seeing more of this troupe and I'm loving it. But it was way too short. They went on a date, slept together and roll credits. I would've loved this as a more full length novel.
A short but cute story featuring a jock falling for an awkward accountant who thinks the hunky guy from the gym is way out of his league. I've been seeing more of this troupe and I'm loving it. But it was way too short. They went on a date, slept together and roll credits. I would've loved this as a more full length novel.
July 3, 2022
Soooooo sweet 🥰
March 14, 2023
Such a cute novella! Isabel Murray’s books just do it for me. So much humor, banter, and then add in steam and romance??? Yes please!
Looking for quick evening read, check this one out!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: 🔥🔥
Looking for quick evening read, check this one out!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: 🔥🔥
June 24, 2023
Sweet short read, 3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews