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Bear Camp #2.5
The Day Pass
A Meet Cute with Muscle
It's just supposed to be one day at the men's campground—a few hours by the pool, a few beers before I have to go to work... maybe a little semi-anonymous quickie.
Living in the Boonies, I don't have a lot of opportunities to get lucky with other men.
Now, I'm making out with my bodybuilder fantasy come to life, he's looking at me like he's the lucky one, and it feels like this could be something more than a hookup.
I don't want this day to end.
How do I say goodbye to someone I only just met and already never want to leave?
The Day Pass is a 6,400-word short story from the Bear Camp series, featuring men in their fifties, size difference, and a tattoo that's a cosmic sign. It can be read as a standalone.
This short story is a promotional title only available via the author's website.
It's just supposed to be one day at the men's campground—a few hours by the pool, a few beers before I have to go to work... maybe a little semi-anonymous quickie.
Living in the Boonies, I don't have a lot of opportunities to get lucky with other men.
Now, I'm making out with my bodybuilder fantasy come to life, he's looking at me like he's the lucky one, and it feels like this could be something more than a hookup.
I don't want this day to end.
How do I say goodbye to someone I only just met and already never want to leave?
The Day Pass is a 6,400-word short story from the Bear Camp series, featuring men in their fifties, size difference, and a tattoo that's a cosmic sign. It can be read as a standalone.
This short story is a promotional title only available via the author's website.
Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2021
4 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 2, 2021
This short story has a a very muscular guy, a silver fox and two main characters in their 50s. Also I love Slade James’ writing and I will never get tired of the bad porn movie vibes of Bear Camp. Expecting me to not love this would be not knowing me at all.
June 5, 2021
3.5 "Short story too short" Stars
Who knew two gay MCs in their fifties would be hot! Its definitely a first for me! I WANT more!
I should have expected it to be short but I want to know more about them and how their relationship progresses! Hope to see more of Kevin and Davey in the series!
Who knew two gay MCs in their fifties would be hot! Its definitely a first for me! I WANT more!
I should have expected it to be short but I want to know more about them and how their relationship progresses! Hope to see more of Kevin and Davey in the series!
June 2, 2021
Super sweet short set at Bear Camp featuring older MC's
June 6, 2021
I can't wait to read the rest!
July 16, 2022
I have loved everything I‘be read by Slade James. His stories just speak to me.
June 4, 2021
This was a cute 5 minute read which is way too short to be satisfied. It’d be nice to get the full story cos I’ve enjoyed the other books in this series and I love me some beary-goodness. These two men are sweet and thoughtful. I wanna see them go the distance.
July 14, 2021
Cute but quite short and ended without any real sense of satisfaction. More of a vignette almost. I quite liked the characters and connection, but I think it needed to be at least twice the length to feel complete.
June 7, 2021
A lovely snippet. And promising. I like that. More Bear Camp needed in this loony world. Please. 🐻
June 14, 2023
Free via Slade’s website
This is a short story set in Slade James’s Bear Camp series. While listed as book 2.5, it’s written in such a way that it stands completely on its own.
So adorable. James perfectly captures all the zing, excitement, and anticipation in this meet cute. I loved the instant chemistry and banter between Davey and Kevin.
This ends on an HFN and I hope these two will show up in future stories.
This is a short story set in Slade James’s Bear Camp series. While listed as book 2.5, it’s written in such a way that it stands completely on its own.
So adorable. James perfectly captures all the zing, excitement, and anticipation in this meet cute. I loved the instant chemistry and banter between Davey and Kevin.
This ends on an HFN and I hope these two will show up in future stories.
September 8, 2023
3⭐, although I definitely didn't get what I wanted, but I'll give it as much, because I really like the setting and the MMCs.
I'm sorry...what?
What exactly is this? It's a trap, that's what it is.
A very short novella where the author got an inspiration from his friend and the way he found his present husband, so going into the story, I was very intrigued, to put it mildly.
Two interesting MMCs, both in their 50's, who meet completely by chance - or fate - however you want to call it, have that instant crazy chemistry and decide to spend a few days together, despite the odds.
I'm going to put my two MMCs here, exactly the way they were in my mind. The tall blonde ex-bodybuilder and your regular Joe working in the local carpet factory.
When they have that dinner together and decide to spend those few days together, you're pumped, thinking wow, how is this going to go, right? I wondered what the sex will be like, considering there's a substantial size difference here.
It was a blue collar / white collar situation, so I was doubly intrigued.
Well, I never found out, honey, because the 👏 story 👏 ends 👏 right 👏 here 👏!
Over, the end. Forget about it, you'll never know how his friend found his husband and what they were up to in Kevin's apartment.
I'm asking the author to kindly develop this story and give us a full length novel with a lot of great sex. Why aren't we in on it??
I want to know all about these men and their sexcapades in Bear Camp!
I'm sorry...what?
What exactly is this? It's a trap, that's what it is.
A very short novella where the author got an inspiration from his friend and the way he found his present husband, so going into the story, I was very intrigued, to put it mildly.
Two interesting MMCs, both in their 50's, who meet completely by chance - or fate - however you want to call it, have that instant crazy chemistry and decide to spend a few days together, despite the odds.
I'm going to put my two MMCs here, exactly the way they were in my mind. The tall blonde ex-bodybuilder and your regular Joe working in the local carpet factory.
When they have that dinner together and decide to spend those few days together, you're pumped, thinking wow, how is this going to go, right? I wondered what the sex will be like, considering there's a substantial size difference here.
It was a blue collar / white collar situation, so I was doubly intrigued.
Well, I never found out, honey, because the 👏 story 👏 ends 👏 right 👏 here 👏!
Over, the end. Forget about it, you'll never know how his friend found his husband and what they were up to in Kevin's apartment.
I'm asking the author to kindly develop this story and give us a full length novel with a lot of great sex. Why aren't we in on it??
I want to know all about these men and their sexcapades in Bear Camp!
March 10, 2022
A cute and very quick story. It felt like a teaser that leaves you waiting for more.
February 25, 2022
3.5/5
I enjoyed this novella better than the first mainly because I felt a stronger connection to the romance. I'm not the biggest fan of friends to lovers like in The Uncut Wood; however, this book was a more straightforward strangers to lovers. While there was insta-love (of course, it's a short novella), I really enjoyed the characters and the romantic tension between the two leads. I was living for the pool scene, but I wish we got some more in the steaminess department from this one. I thought the ending was SUPER sweet, and I think it set up a really good continuation (hopefully) for these characters in future books/novellas.
I enjoyed this novella better than the first mainly because I felt a stronger connection to the romance. I'm not the biggest fan of friends to lovers like in The Uncut Wood; however, this book was a more straightforward strangers to lovers. While there was insta-love (of course, it's a short novella), I really enjoyed the characters and the romantic tension between the two leads. I was living for the pool scene, but I wish we got some more in the steaminess department from this one. I thought the ending was SUPER sweet, and I think it set up a really good continuation (hopefully) for these characters in future books/novellas.
October 17, 2023
This is just a very short, low steam tale of two men making a connection. It’s nice to see the world of the bear camp through someone else’s eyes, and also highlight some of the issues of trying to find the love of your life at a place built on transience.
June 9, 2021
Cute. Just the beginning of the story.
June 24, 2021
TLDR: cute short story
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October 26, 2022
A cute (but very short) story about two guys in their fifties meeting on a chance encounter at Bear Camp while the main character is there on a day pass before having to work an over-night shift. Basically fated mates kinda thing. Very cute. Way too short to have a higher rating. I weirdly love this silly Bear Camp world and can't wait for Slade James to write a full book two, please!
July 2, 2023
3.5 / 5
This was sweet. It definitely could’ve gotten a higher rating if it had another 5,000-10,000 words, hell, even a full length novel with these guys would be nice. I’m learning that I love MM romance where one or both of the men are on the older side.
I’m not a big fan of huge muscly dudes, and I’ve been really hoping we’d get a proper big boy bear in one of these stories, I mean… the series is called ”Bear Camp”, but what we’ve gotten are otters and muscular dudes, gimme the thick boys please - Sawyer was beefy but still had that muscular physique to his stomach and chest. Despite Davey being all muscle physically, I enjoyed his character and wanted to know more about him.
I read this before Muscle Cub due to it being published before that one, but I think this one can be read and enjoyed in any order.
This was sweet. It definitely could’ve gotten a higher rating if it had another 5,000-10,000 words, hell, even a full length novel with these guys would be nice. I’m learning that I love MM romance where one or both of the men are on the older side.
I’m not a big fan of huge muscly dudes, and I’ve been really hoping we’d get a proper big boy bear in one of these stories, I mean… the series is called ”Bear Camp”, but what we’ve gotten are otters and muscular dudes, gimme the thick boys please - Sawyer was beefy but still had that muscular physique to his stomach and chest. Despite Davey being all muscle physically, I enjoyed his character and wanted to know more about him.
I read this before Muscle Cub due to it being published before that one, but I think this one can be read and enjoyed in any order.
November 12, 2023
I love that this was inspired by real life friends of the author's. It has exactly that 'unlikely' feeling that you get from some instalove romances, but with real life being unpredictable as it is, I can totally see how this unfolded after Kevin's day pass visit to Bear Mountain Lodge Camp.
Kevin, a worker in his 50s, spends an afternoon at the camp before his shift and meets a handsome bodybuilder in his age group. Immediately sensing a connection, they take their acquaintance outside of the camp pretty quickly to follow their mutual spark.
Heck, I know a couple who met as guests at the Oktoberfest in Munich and one guy then moved to another country to be with the guy he hooked up with.
Life is sometimes so much more exciting than romance literature could ever be.
A lovely short story!
Kevin, a worker in his 50s, spends an afternoon at the camp before his shift and meets a handsome bodybuilder in his age group. Immediately sensing a connection, they take their acquaintance outside of the camp pretty quickly to follow their mutual spark.
Heck, I know a couple who met as guests at the Oktoberfest in Munich and one guy then moved to another country to be with the guy he hooked up with.
Life is sometimes so much more exciting than romance literature could ever be.
A lovely short story!
September 19, 2025
This was actually a pleasant surprise. It’s been in my library for quite some time now. I thought it was going to be one long sex scene, but it turned out that there was no sex at all. Instead we have two older men meeting, flirting, kissing and leaving us with the sense that they have an actual future as a couple. I really appreciate when authors write MM stories featuring older men; there aren’t enough, in my opinion. I was, however, a little disappointed about the focus on Davey’s muscles. At that age group, aren’t we past all that objectification?
I was sad that this was so short. Kevin and Davey were both so sweet. I would really have liked to get to know their story better.
I was sad that this was so short. Kevin and Davey were both so sweet. I would really have liked to get to know their story better.
June 15, 2021
I just wanted to read more of Kevin and Davey's story! Kevin stops by Bear Camp before going into his night shift job at the carpet mill. There he meets Davey and they have an instant attraction to each other. They spend the afternoon in the pool getting to know each other. There's plenty of kissing and promises of more in the future. I would love to read more about them.
August 24, 2022
This felt like a prequel. A very well-written prequel. I love stories about older men and this one did not disappoint except for the fact that it was too short and I need more! I hope Slade James continues to write MM romance because I'm really enjoying what he's written so far. I would love to see how things play out between these two MCs. You can find this on Prolific Works.
May 27, 2023
A perfect little snippet of a first meeting.
Adorable and sexy. And, although I too would read a full length novel about Kevin & Davey (spoiler: I’d read anything Slade wrote), I think it ended perfectly. The “all in” and “when you know you know” vibes culminating in that call… and you can assume their lives were never the same again *sigh*
Adorable and sexy. And, although I too would read a full length novel about Kevin & Davey (spoiler: I’d read anything Slade wrote), I think it ended perfectly. The “all in” and “when you know you know” vibes culminating in that call… and you can assume their lives were never the same again *sigh*
July 6, 2024
Short but sweet addition to the absolutely excellent Bear Camp series. I loved how there was a huge ratcheting up of chemistry between these two and then it was just kind of left hanging....sort of abruptly. At first I was dissapointed, I wanted to see them get it onnnnnn but then I kind of appreciated it. Their future is unwritten, there is so much possibility.
June 15, 2021
A tad too short for my taste (The series prequel short story, The Uncut Wood, is 12,000 while this was 6,400-odd) so did feel a tad skim/rushed but there was something about this I utterly enjoyed!
Very sweet and a nice change to read a romance with two leads in their 50s and with this being showing the start of a romance.
Damn it, I’m going to have to buy full length story in this series, Grumpy Bear, aren’t I? (less than an hour later, I bought Grumpy Bear. Please don't suck!)
***Short Story Free from a Prolific Works giveaway***
Very sweet and a nice change to read a romance with two leads in their 50s and with this being showing the start of a romance.
Damn it, I’m going to have to buy full length story in this series, Grumpy Bear, aren’t I? (less than an hour later, I bought Grumpy Bear. Please don't suck!)
***Short Story Free from a Prolific Works giveaway***
August 14, 2021
A very short but very sweet tale of two middle-aged men meeting at a Bear Camp. Instant attraction, one slightly shy, the other a huge muscled mass of a man, and sexy high jinks in the pool, all cute and cuddly until it's time to say goodbye.
February 28, 2022
3.5 stars - I really like everything I’ve read from Slade James, but this is the shortest by far and just isn’t long enough to build the story. Would love a follow up to this, bc I really liked both characters.
June 13, 2023
Loved that Kevin and Davey were older, it made it a very different read. I should say older but definitely no less hot! My only complaint is I needed to know more, it’s listed as a short but I didn’t expect to be left needing to know how they progressed. We need a full length of these two please.
June 25, 2021
3,5 stars.
July 11, 2021
This was a short but sweet story ❤️… can’t wait for more 🙏
January 23, 2022
A really cute, short story that left me wanting more... Chance encounters can lead to lots of things, and this one is the best kind.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews