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Feeling Safe
San Diego police officer Larson Jenkins rescues a scared and hurt Calvin Trison, who was attacked by a burglar in his home. In a spur of the moment decision, Larson decides to take the injured man home with him to a secure building where Calvin can recover behind several locked doors, a fat, spoiled cat, and himself. As he finds himself falling in love, Larson knows his greatest fear is all too that Calvin will latch onto him until he feels safe again and then he'll be out the door.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2008
1 person is currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Sonja Spencer
11 books11 followersSonja Spencer has always enjoyed writing as an escape from her professional life. She spends what spare time she has with her family and friends, and she loves long walks on the beach, jumping in puddles, and cuddling puppies. She aspires to be an entertaining writer and a gourmet chef.
You can e-mail Sonja at sonja.j.spencer@gmail.com.
You can e-mail Sonja at sonja.j.spencer@gmail.com.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 4, 2012
3.55*
Ok, first of all, everyone that complains that Calvin is whiny and needy is right, and the POV changes are slightly confusing, except when the Cat Betty has her turn, that one was easy! ( since the guys don't call each other daddy thank goodness! )
It's a bit of instant -love/lust and a very rushed relationship that doesn't really happen on page, but despite all that I agree with my friend who recommended it to me, it's a sweet fluffy guilty pleasure!
It's not great , but I feel like I'm all wrapped in cotton candy now, sweet, sticky and a little gorged on sappy and happy!
Ok, first of all, everyone that complains that Calvin is whiny and needy is right, and the POV changes are slightly confusing, except when the Cat Betty has her turn, that one was easy! ( since the guys don't call each other daddy thank goodness! )
It's a bit of instant -love/lust and a very rushed relationship that doesn't really happen on page, but despite all that I agree with my friend who recommended it to me, it's a sweet fluffy guilty pleasure!
It's not great , but I feel like I'm all wrapped in cotton candy now, sweet, sticky and a little gorged on sappy and happy!
October 13, 2025
I really didn’t care for this and most of it is bc it wasn’t my preference.
This was an insta-love story and for me that’s just pretty boring. It also leaves a bad taste in my mouth when it’s insta-love AND a taboo relationship. If it GREW into romance then that would be one thing and I think that story can be fun and have some really amazing moments.
For this one- I think they jerked off in the shower together on night one (at least that’s how it read to me). If it were the day after then that’s still too soon imo.
Calvin’s house is broken into and he’s injured by the robber. Larson is the responding officer and offers his place to stay until Calvin finds a new place. LOVE the concept!!!
They immediately that’s fooling around and having a codependent anxiety relationship.
Also- the writing sounds like a 90 year old wrote it. I was expecting to get hit with a ‘Gee Wilikers!’ at some point. I did not find a specification on age so they would be like OLDER men… so maybe the phrases and writing makes sense but I feel like if they were aiming for us to make up our own ages then the writing and slang should be more neutral. That’s just me though!
DNF @53%
Also- if you consider listening to this as an audio book then please note the person they used sounds like he is recording from inside a shower stall. It’s not unbearable but the echo is very noticeable. His inflections and the way he reads also was a bit off but maybe it was his first time.
This was an insta-love story and for me that’s just pretty boring. It also leaves a bad taste in my mouth when it’s insta-love AND a taboo relationship. If it GREW into romance then that would be one thing and I think that story can be fun and have some really amazing moments.
For this one- I think they jerked off in the shower together on night one (at least that’s how it read to me). If it were the day after then that’s still too soon imo.
Calvin’s house is broken into and he’s injured by the robber. Larson is the responding officer and offers his place to stay until Calvin finds a new place. LOVE the concept!!!
They immediately that’s fooling around and having a codependent anxiety relationship.
Also- the writing sounds like a 90 year old wrote it. I was expecting to get hit with a ‘Gee Wilikers!’ at some point. I did not find a specification on age so they would be like OLDER men… so maybe the phrases and writing makes sense but I feel like if they were aiming for us to make up our own ages then the writing and slang should be more neutral. That’s just me though!
DNF @53%
Also- if you consider listening to this as an audio book then please note the person they used sounds like he is recording from inside a shower stall. It’s not unbearable but the echo is very noticeable. His inflections and the way he reads also was a bit off but maybe it was his first time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2021
Short, quick cute read. Nothing really stands out. But it’s better than 3 star, in my opinion.
May 28, 2010
Didn't think much about this one ... a great deal of angst, where really there shouldn't have been. Or maybe yes, but only a little bit. Larson worrying that Calvin would like him only for 'rescuing' him can be understood, to a point.
The thing was, Calvin was a wuss. Yes, I'd be scared if someone broke into my apartment. I'd have knives, though. I'd have something heavy, or at least that I can use in a moment of desperation. Even if I *did* hide in the closet, I sure as heck wouldn't try to come out just because I heard a cop at the door, not with KNOWING that the thief is still in the apartment [because you could hear him as well:]. But yes, coming out of the closet [no pun intended:] and getting hurt would shake me. I might be scared to go back to my apartment alone, but I wouldn't be bloody terrified of everything except one man and his cat.
That aside, there was so much waffling and so much angst, I began wondering if these were men or women. Calvin got extremely insecure and upset when he murmured [quietly:] that he loved Larson during a high sexual peak, and Larson didn't reciprocate. Um ...
Of the writing, it was a bit aggravating with all the sliding Sonja Spencer does back and forth between one perspective another, sometimes paragraph by paragraph. If she could only have written each scene in one perspective, and cut out some of the waffling and angst, this would have been a much better novel.
The thing was, Calvin was a wuss. Yes, I'd be scared if someone broke into my apartment. I'd have knives, though. I'd have something heavy, or at least that I can use in a moment of desperation. Even if I *did* hide in the closet, I sure as heck wouldn't try to come out just because I heard a cop at the door, not with KNOWING that the thief is still in the apartment [because you could hear him as well:]. But yes, coming out of the closet [no pun intended:] and getting hurt would shake me. I might be scared to go back to my apartment alone, but I wouldn't be bloody terrified of everything except one man and his cat.
That aside, there was so much waffling and so much angst, I began wondering if these were men or women. Calvin got extremely insecure and upset when he murmured [quietly:] that he loved Larson during a high sexual peak, and Larson didn't reciprocate. Um ...
Of the writing, it was a bit aggravating with all the sliding Sonja Spencer does back and forth between one perspective another, sometimes paragraph by paragraph. If she could only have written each scene in one perspective, and cut out some of the waffling and angst, this would have been a much better novel.
July 12, 2012
Sonja Spencer's bio states that she aspires to be an "entertaining writer and a gourmet chef." While I can't vouch for Ms. Spencer's progress on the culinary front, regarding writing, I found this book to be a very pleasant diversion. The beginning quarter contains a healthy dose of hurt/comfort with each character playing the role that would be stereotypically determined by their body types. However, later that dynamic flips once they've become comfortable and secure enough with each other to open up. There's never a question that these guys will end up together--not only for the reader, but also for the characters, as they both seem determined to fight for it, and any moments of trepidation or miscommunication between them are quickly faced and dealt with rather than allowed to fester. I found that refreshing. If you enjoy sex scenes, this book has them in spades. :)
All in all, this is a sweet book with good characters, which causes a reader little stress. It's a good, low-key read. 3.5-4 stars
All in all, this is a sweet book with good characters, which causes a reader little stress. It's a good, low-key read. 3.5-4 stars
February 8, 2016
4 stars for the story but 1 star for the narration :(
This is actually a really nice, conflict free, fluffy, romantic four star novella. The kind of story that goes really well with tea and biscuits.
Alas the audiobook is monotone and boring. What a pity! A missed opportunity.
I do wish publishers would produce good audiobooks because it can really enhance the reader experience if done well. When my son was little I used to read to him and I did different voices for different characters and not very well either but he enjoyed it.
So I expect a bit of effort with audiobooks. People generally don't read in monotone to children so why read in monotone to adults?
I expect much more from my audiobooks. Good audiobooks make a difference and can bring stories to life. Not so with this one. The narrator made the story kind of dry.
Dreamspinner should re-do this audiobook. It is just so difficult to distinguish between the characters and makes for a poor listening experience.
A pity because the story is kind of fluffy but really nice. It deserves a better narration.
This is actually a really nice, conflict free, fluffy, romantic four star novella. The kind of story that goes really well with tea and biscuits.
Alas the audiobook is monotone and boring. What a pity! A missed opportunity.
I do wish publishers would produce good audiobooks because it can really enhance the reader experience if done well. When my son was little I used to read to him and I did different voices for different characters and not very well either but he enjoyed it.
So I expect a bit of effort with audiobooks. People generally don't read in monotone to children so why read in monotone to adults?
I expect much more from my audiobooks. Good audiobooks make a difference and can bring stories to life. Not so with this one. The narrator made the story kind of dry.
Dreamspinner should re-do this audiobook. It is just so difficult to distinguish between the characters and makes for a poor listening experience.
A pity because the story is kind of fluffy but really nice. It deserves a better narration.
January 16, 2015
Those kind of books - predictable, boring, with two dimensional characters and no plot to speak of - do a great disservice to gay fiction. If that was my first one, I don't think I'd be eager to read another.
And what is worse, it was made into an audiobook!
I'm an audiobook lover and I'm crazy about gay novels. The thing is, there aren't many m/m audiobooks out there, and when I find one - I'm ecstatic, giddy, excited, etc.
So, it's small wonder that, when I finally listened to "Feeling Safe", I got a headache, because it was sooooo disappointingly... meh.
I don't get it. There are so many wonderful gay books to choose from and I'd love to have an audio version of them. Is there no quality control with this sort of thing? Well, there should be, because I've just wasted a few hours of my life on this medicore book, and I'll never get them back.
And what is worse, it was made into an audiobook!
I'm an audiobook lover and I'm crazy about gay novels. The thing is, there aren't many m/m audiobooks out there, and when I find one - I'm ecstatic, giddy, excited, etc.
So, it's small wonder that, when I finally listened to "Feeling Safe", I got a headache, because it was sooooo disappointingly... meh.
I don't get it. There are so many wonderful gay books to choose from and I'd love to have an audio version of them. Is there no quality control with this sort of thing? Well, there should be, because I've just wasted a few hours of my life on this medicore book, and I'll never get them back.
June 2, 2015
The narrator has a good voice but lacks passion - too monotone. It was like he was reciting his grocery list. To be fair, it might have been the subject matter.
This book was a good idea but just didn't work for me. The wording was strange. I can't imagine someone outside of a Gone With the Wind type novel saying "Take me lover. I'm yours" while not falling over with laughter.
Calvin was so NEEDY and WHINY and, Larson was afraid to have a conversation with him about their relationship. I found myself caring more about the cat than the main characters.
This book would have worked better had it been made into a short story with the promise of a relationship between Calvin and Larson.
This book was a good idea but just didn't work for me. The wording was strange. I can't imagine someone outside of a Gone With the Wind type novel saying "Take me lover. I'm yours" while not falling over with laughter.
Calvin was so NEEDY and WHINY and, Larson was afraid to have a conversation with him about their relationship. I found myself caring more about the cat than the main characters.
This book would have worked better had it been made into a short story with the promise of a relationship between Calvin and Larson.
April 18, 2011
First, I'd like to say I'm willing to give her other books a try, but this book was actually kind of painful to get through. I kept wanting to skip ahead to see if the characters got any less whiny, or if either of them managed to grow a pair at some point.
I feel like there was no real story or even a real problem for the main couple to work through, it was all just character insecurity ( there was no cause for any insecurity so it was all just sort of there).
The only reason I didn't quit reading half way through is because it'd drive me nuts to only half finish a book. Though I will admit to skimming some pages.
I feel like there was no real story or even a real problem for the main couple to work through, it was all just character insecurity ( there was no cause for any insecurity so it was all just sort of there).
The only reason I didn't quit reading half way through is because it'd drive me nuts to only half finish a book. Though I will admit to skimming some pages.
September 9, 2012
I really liked Larson (the policeman) in this story but the wimpy Calvin was a real turnoff. While I understand that somebody might be traumatized after a robbery I don´t think that Calvin's reaction was realistic. The story might have worked if Calvin had been seriously injured by the burglar and Larson was helping him to recover.
December 6, 2012
Feeling Safe was an enjoyable read for me...I thought it was very sweet and the story of how these two fella's found each other was totally charming. The story was lacking in areas such as interactions with secondary characters. These guys were alone the majority of the story but I loved it anyway. It made me smile.
September 10, 2010
This is the first book that I have ready by Sonja. It was pretty good. The esteem issues were over thought/discussed in my opinion. This did not dissuade me from reading other works by Sonja Spencer.
July 17, 2010
This was an engaging enough story, and I liked the characters but found the constant shifting of POV a bit distracting.
August 13, 2011
Enjoyable atory even if the characters spend time not thing about it... now.
June 27, 2010
A cop rescues a guy from an in-progress burglary, then takes the guy home. My biggest complaint was the sometimes dizzying point-of-view changes – every paragraph for a while… including the cat.
September 25, 2010
I was not a fan of Calvin's. He was way too wimpy.
November 7, 2010
3.5 stars
November 7, 2010
3.5 stars
June 25, 2012
Plot was nothing special. I think there could me more.
January 10, 2014
Cute, but kind of lacking a plot.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews