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Turning Points
Walking into the Marine Corps recruitment office.
Experiencing an earthquake in Alaska.
Meeting a TV crush in the elevator.
Going to the Winter Olympics.
These were the turning points for the men in this collection as they were trying to figure out their lives and stumbled into love instead.
Every story in this collection is a stand-alone and there are no cliffhangers.
Three of the four stories were previously published separately by MLR Press. Impossible to Resist has never been published before.
STORIES IN THIS COLLECTION:
OPEN ENDINGS
A man walks into a recruitment office… and nothing goes according to plan.
Matt Holston, a soon-to-be college graduate, is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One of his ideas is enlisting to the US Marine Corps, but when he goes to the recruitment office to check out his options, he meets a guy who is a complete opposite of what Matt imagined a recruitment officer to be.
Cole Perry had suffered from PTSD after his second tour overseas and now he just wants to get to the end of his contract. Transferred from his old unit, he may be a glorified office clerk, but what he’s definitely not is a guy who would help anybody make the same mistake he did.
So what makes Matt come back to see Cole again if not the spiel about serving his country?
TREMORS OF THE PAST
When two men with complicated past meet at the conference in Alaska, things are already on shaky ground.
Derek Warden is certain his boss sent him to cover the conference in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, to punish him for something. He is ready for the whole thing to be over before it even begins.
Hayden Shaw has been looking forward to this conference for months. The problem of fracking is very dear to his heart and he can’t wait to spend the long weekend with like-minded people.
Neither of them expected the big earthquake, but most importantly—they didn’t expect each other. Meeting again after over a decade may result in something even more surprising that the ground trembling under their feet.
IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST
Meeting your TV crush in the elevator simply doesn’t happen.
…Right?
Tim Parker is a fan blogger and he’s in Miami for the Comic-Con, so it’s already an amazing trip. But then he bumps into his TV crush (Josh. Freaking. Witchell.) and the whole weekend turns into a wish-fulfillment dream.
Who is Tim to say no to that?
RUNNING OFF THE EDGE
After the knee injury, Liam O’Connor, the former gold medalist, is no longer able to compete at the Olympics. He’s in Sochi as an assistant coach for another male figure skater and hopes to avoid Eric Lanney as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Eric is here to compete for gold in pair skating, but is that the only thing that will be important to him? Or will it fade in comparison to the spark that never died?
When the former lovers meet again in Russia, they will have a chance to learn that a gold medal isn’t the greatest prize you can win at the Winter Olympics.
Experiencing an earthquake in Alaska.
Meeting a TV crush in the elevator.
Going to the Winter Olympics.
These were the turning points for the men in this collection as they were trying to figure out their lives and stumbled into love instead.
Every story in this collection is a stand-alone and there are no cliffhangers.
Three of the four stories were previously published separately by MLR Press. Impossible to Resist has never been published before.
STORIES IN THIS COLLECTION:
OPEN ENDINGS
A man walks into a recruitment office… and nothing goes according to plan.
Matt Holston, a soon-to-be college graduate, is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. One of his ideas is enlisting to the US Marine Corps, but when he goes to the recruitment office to check out his options, he meets a guy who is a complete opposite of what Matt imagined a recruitment officer to be.
Cole Perry had suffered from PTSD after his second tour overseas and now he just wants to get to the end of his contract. Transferred from his old unit, he may be a glorified office clerk, but what he’s definitely not is a guy who would help anybody make the same mistake he did.
So what makes Matt come back to see Cole again if not the spiel about serving his country?
TREMORS OF THE PAST
When two men with complicated past meet at the conference in Alaska, things are already on shaky ground.
Derek Warden is certain his boss sent him to cover the conference in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, to punish him for something. He is ready for the whole thing to be over before it even begins.
Hayden Shaw has been looking forward to this conference for months. The problem of fracking is very dear to his heart and he can’t wait to spend the long weekend with like-minded people.
Neither of them expected the big earthquake, but most importantly—they didn’t expect each other. Meeting again after over a decade may result in something even more surprising that the ground trembling under their feet.
IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST
Meeting your TV crush in the elevator simply doesn’t happen.
…Right?
Tim Parker is a fan blogger and he’s in Miami for the Comic-Con, so it’s already an amazing trip. But then he bumps into his TV crush (Josh. Freaking. Witchell.) and the whole weekend turns into a wish-fulfillment dream.
Who is Tim to say no to that?
RUNNING OFF THE EDGE
After the knee injury, Liam O’Connor, the former gold medalist, is no longer able to compete at the Olympics. He’s in Sochi as an assistant coach for another male figure skater and hopes to avoid Eric Lanney as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Eric is here to compete for gold in pair skating, but is that the only thing that will be important to him? Or will it fade in comparison to the spark that never died?
When the former lovers meet again in Russia, they will have a chance to learn that a gold medal isn’t the greatest prize you can win at the Winter Olympics.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2021
63 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 24, 2022
This has four short stories in it and I think the one about the actor and the blogger at Comicon was my favorite. I would have read a full length story about them if it was available.
December 28, 2022
The first short in this collection of stories is a perfect warmer upper as we meet Matthew and Cole. A sweet and gentle meeting and getting to know each other, but Cole has fears, fears that his PTSD may scare Matthew away. It's a lovely short.
In story two we meet Hayden and Derek, old college frenemies who bumped into each twelve years later. Old grudges and guilts abound as they constantly meet at the conference they're attending, and the bickering from way back continues, until it doesn't. Cute story.
Story three involves Comicon and superheros, not my thing and waay too many hashtags and emails. But Tim's enthusiasm and hero worship is cute as heck when he meets his idol. The rest involves sex and happiness, a fun but very short read.
The fourth and last short story in this little collection and it takes us to Russia and the Olympics. Two ice skaters, once lovers, one to compete, the other now a coach after a career breaking injury. And you can guess the rest. It's touching, if a tiny bit annoying because of Eric's fears, but lovely to read.
In story two we meet Hayden and Derek, old college frenemies who bumped into each twelve years later. Old grudges and guilts abound as they constantly meet at the conference they're attending, and the bickering from way back continues, until it doesn't. Cute story.
Story three involves Comicon and superheros, not my thing and waay too many hashtags and emails. But Tim's enthusiasm and hero worship is cute as heck when he meets his idol. The rest involves sex and happiness, a fun but very short read.
The fourth and last short story in this little collection and it takes us to Russia and the Olympics. Two ice skaters, once lovers, one to compete, the other now a coach after a career breaking injury. And you can guess the rest. It's touching, if a tiny bit annoying because of Eric's fears, but lovely to read.
January 29, 2022
I freeze. The Eyes Guy. Oh my God. It’s the fan’s worst nightmare: your idol finding your on-line corner of the world where you sing their praises with different degrees of explicitness. — Tim
Turning Points is a well-balanced collection, worth reading. The couples are different in their makeups dynamics and settings while working with subversion of tropes in some of the stories. I got this free as part of a massive ebook giveaway right around the time it was published. I really wish more authors would do this, bring together their novelettes or novellas into a larger piece. Perhaps like Megan Linden did with an exclusive or new work in there. It allows for a better sampling of the author's style, an author may get more fans if they can see the author's various styles in a single affordable collection.
Open Endings
Real story is, don’t do this to yourself. I told you, no matter your reasons, serving the country, helping people, waving the flag, whatever, it’s not worth it. Find a better way. — ColeOpen Endings is a slight subversion of the military trope. When we meet twenty-one year old Matthew he's about walk into a recruitment office, he just wants a place to belong. In the office he meets a jaded military man, Cole, who gives him the most unusual advice for the genre "My advice? Don’t do it.” (also the above quote). It's so unexpected when you read it at first but it suits Cole. The epilogue is not what I expected. Though there were always two options. It is a wonderful story about being comfortable in your own skin and figuring out what makes you happy in the world. Matt has an undeniable sweetness. Cole hit most of the marine tropes but given the brevity this piece that's fine with me. Together they are fire which I kinda didn't expect really, though I should have.
Tremors of the Past
“Good,” Derek said and realized he was completely serious. He didn’t want Hayden to be anything other than the guy who would shout at him in the classroom and trip over his own words trying to speak faster and faster as if he couldn’t wait to get to the rest of his rant. Derek had never met anybody else who would piss him off so much and make him respect them at the same time. — DerekDerek and Hayden were a little surprising to me, also has a bit of subversion of tropes. I liked all of it, how it started, the relationship progression, Derek and Hayden's chemistry and the plot, such as it is. What I didn't like so much was the ending, not so much for Derek and Hayden HEA/HFN is almost guaranteed in these stories. It's more to do with the injustice or disrespect may be shown to Patricia and Candice. I kinda feel they both deserve a bit of an I told you so moment at that last breakfast to Derek and Hayden respectively. Rather than we just don't see them again. I know Tremors of the Past is very short but it feels like there was a better way to handle the ending rather than a bit of a dead drop. That is not to say I didn't enjoy the story overall, I did. I just feel something was a little off at the ending.
Impossible to Resist
@notquitespiderman: Word of advice? Never drink w/ @mandyandalbert, @cooperyup, @tangledtriangle and @ticktuckerboom. #ComicCon #CCWillBeTheDeathOfMe — TimTim and Josh's story is the new story in the collection (the other three were published in 2015-16). Impossible to Resist feels very much like something that Megan Linden will pick up later. Particularly given the line "That’s the end of Tim and Josh’s story (even though, yes, their arc is just beginning!)." which concludes the section. This plays with one of those fantasy things all fans have thought of in the deepest parts of their mind. What would you do if you met your favourite celebrity or idol at a convention and they liked you back? Would you act on it? Would you compromise your relationship boundaries for them? What is interesting is the perspective, it's written in the first person combined with sns posts which feels unusual. Impossible to Resist feels right though. I really hope there is more of these two.
Running of the Edge
“You are my son, and I love you more than anything, but for fuck’s sake, how can you still be so stupid?” — PaulaWhen I was reading Running of the Edge got total Kiera Andrews meets Riley Hart vibes. Andrews has written 3 figure skating novels and Hart has written lovers to adversaries and back more than once (if you haven't read His Truth I really recommend it). The story itself is good. It uses the tropes and female characters well. Paula and Andrea the ladies of the story, feel like they are respected here more than in Tremors of the Past. Paula and Andrea are Eric's mother and his skating partner respectively, Paula is also Liam's co-coach and someone he is still close to. Eric and Liam were dating but Liam wanted to be out and Eric wanted to stay in the closet, essentially most of the story is them sorting their s*** out. While Liam and Eric are okay as characters but feel a bit, cookie-cutter athlete. It's made by the women. I really appreciate the stying of the epilogue.
Please be aware that these stories were originally written in 2014-2016 and the technology wasn’t what it is today. Not to mention social media! With that in mind, I hope you enjoy them. — Megan Linden
A representative gif:
August 19, 2023
Got a free copy during the Romance Bookworm promotion. It's a compilation of four novellas. Decided not to read the third and fourth given the blurbs.
The first one is lovely. Plot progression is fairly straightforward but cute. 4/5
Very disappointed by the second. Hayden and Derek are both very interesting characters with interesting dynamics, but the narration seems plain, if not boring, with many potential developments are left unanswered and undiscovered (e.g. how do they deal with Derek's father after their reunion?) Their story could be a book with better writing.
Rounds up 3.5
The first one is lovely. Plot progression is fairly straightforward but cute. 4/5
Very disappointed by the second. Hayden and Derek are both very interesting characters with interesting dynamics, but the narration seems plain, if not boring, with many potential developments are left unanswered and undiscovered (e.g. how do they deal with Derek's father after their reunion?) Their story could be a book with better writing.
Rounds up 3.5
January 28, 2022
Excellent writing
I absolutely loved these stories. The author did a magnificent job with her writing. Every story was well researched and completely believable. Her writing was skillfull and tight. The love scenes were just that, love scenes. This was an excellent read overall!
I absolutely loved these stories. The author did a magnificent job with her writing. Every story was well researched and completely believable. Her writing was skillfull and tight. The love scenes were just that, love scenes. This was an excellent read overall!
January 9, 2022
Four gripping tales
A well-written collection of slightly dated stories of found love. Very different mileau, but there was passion in the unions that brought smiles to my face.
A well-written collection of slightly dated stories of found love. Very different mileau, but there was passion in the unions that brought smiles to my face.
January 21, 2022
Four short stories. Some were definitely better than others.
January 24, 2022
Sweet and cute short stories, which everyone has a happy end, and that's good.
April 27, 2022
Great book
Loved the love affair between the two boys or young adults. Well written and formatted. The author did an excellent job writing this book
Loved the love affair between the two boys or young adults. Well written and formatted. The author did an excellent job writing this book
July 12, 2022
2.5 nice shorties
August 3, 2022
A fun, quick collection of novellas.
March 7, 2024
Collection of short stories. Quick read
November 8, 2023
Four short stories compiled into this collection. I enjoyed the first story in this collection a lot. The second was an "enemies" to lovers story, and it was alright. It had me wishing for more about the couple. The third was enjoyable; shorter than the rest. I would have loved to see more about the two MCs in that one. The last was a sweet wrap up to the collection. The second chance romance was quickly resolved in the story, but I felt there was enough discussion of the past to understand what happened between them. The one critique I have with this is that the grammar and some of the wording was not done well and seemed clunky.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews