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Brackets #1
Brackets
Photojournalist Austin Edmunds is something of a loner, preferring his own company to all of the people his friends try to set him up with. A new assignment in the Smoky Mountains might just change all that, though, when Austin meets big, sexy hunk, Brack Edge.
Austin has never experienced an attraction as immediate as the one he feels for Brack, and he loves the scenery and people he encounters in the Smokies. Despite all that, life isn’t all fun and games for Austin and Brack. They take on helping out a local kid with his homophobic family, and Austin has a story to finish. The hardest part might just be how Brack and Austin will handle the fact that Austin is a Manhattan man to the core, and Brack is a mountain boy, through and through. Can they find a way to keep it together?
Austin has never experienced an attraction as immediate as the one he feels for Brack, and he loves the scenery and people he encounters in the Smokies. Despite all that, life isn’t all fun and games for Austin and Brack. They take on helping out a local kid with his homophobic family, and Austin has a story to finish. The hardest part might just be how Brack and Austin will handle the fact that Austin is a Manhattan man to the core, and Brack is a mountain boy, through and through. Can they find a way to keep it together?
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First published October 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 28, 2009
Austin Edmunds, city boy and photojournalist, becomes fascinated along with the entire country by the death of two young men and the emotional heartbreak of their family. When he is sent up the Smokey Mountain on assignment to get their story – he is thrilled. His one plan for the day after finding the town is to find his guide Brack Edge. Coming up to the mountain no one told him that he would find the loveliest bear of a man, just waiting to be cuddled, which was exactly what Brack is.
Brack Edge, furniture maker and only known gay in town, is right where he wants to be, in a town that he loves, moving at a pace which suits him and friends whom he can rely on just down the mountain. When he steps out of his shop to find a stranger being harassed by the local rowdies – he quickly sorts them out. When he turns to introduce himself, he found himself looking at the most perfect man he’s seen in a long time.
Brack and Austin are in each others pockets from the moment they set eyes on each other. Not all things are smooth sailing as they both come to care and be caught up in the story that Austin is sent to write, along with events surrounding a young man trying to find himself. There is also the more pressing matter of what will happen when Austin’s report is finished, as Brack won’t give up his mountain that easily and Austin is definitely a city boy.
AKM Miles' BRACKET is a powerful love story, full of all the thing you wish would never happen and the impossible dreams you hoped for with every fiber of your being.
Austin is instantly attracted to Brack, after isolating himself for years he makes no qualm about letting the object of his affection knows that he wants him. Brack is also attracted to Austin, but does things at a much slower pace as he wants to get to know the real Austin and goes about it in his own way.
The love scenes are erotic and you get easily caught up in the passion between the two. Although there is an instant attraction between the protagonists, the growth to knowing each other and accepting the people and circumstance around them are evenly paced. This book is filled with huge loss, deep regret, but also brimming with hope and the knowledge that anything is possible
Brack Edge, furniture maker and only known gay in town, is right where he wants to be, in a town that he loves, moving at a pace which suits him and friends whom he can rely on just down the mountain. When he steps out of his shop to find a stranger being harassed by the local rowdies – he quickly sorts them out. When he turns to introduce himself, he found himself looking at the most perfect man he’s seen in a long time.
Brack and Austin are in each others pockets from the moment they set eyes on each other. Not all things are smooth sailing as they both come to care and be caught up in the story that Austin is sent to write, along with events surrounding a young man trying to find himself. There is also the more pressing matter of what will happen when Austin’s report is finished, as Brack won’t give up his mountain that easily and Austin is definitely a city boy.
AKM Miles' BRACKET is a powerful love story, full of all the thing you wish would never happen and the impossible dreams you hoped for with every fiber of your being.
Austin is instantly attracted to Brack, after isolating himself for years he makes no qualm about letting the object of his affection knows that he wants him. Brack is also attracted to Austin, but does things at a much slower pace as he wants to get to know the real Austin and goes about it in his own way.
The love scenes are erotic and you get easily caught up in the passion between the two. Although there is an instant attraction between the protagonists, the growth to knowing each other and accepting the people and circumstance around them are evenly paced. This book is filled with huge loss, deep regret, but also brimming with hope and the knowledge that anything is possible
June 9, 2013
Back to this hit-and-miss author. More misses than hits, I’m afraid, and this one falls short of the mark as well. At least it’s not mean-spirited. But let’s start this off right.
Am I the only one who is outrageously amused by this? Because I doubt Austin intended that innuendo there.
The narrative feels a little like someone’s just casually telling me about a story. With all the repetitions and blatant explanatory statements. As usual with this author, good people are beautiful and evil people are ugly.
I know it’s this author’s thing, but this over-sharing from the get-go really does take away any possible tension from the developing relationship. So much dissecting what is happening between them. Gah.
And I am happy there’s huge trust but the decision to forego condoms seems awfully hasty. It’s only the second day and while they assured each other they’re clean… Well. And really. Lubeless? T_T It hurts to read. This does not happen every time but much too often for my taste.
Then that flashback. Jesus, that’s horrific. It kinda ruins the whole more-perfect-than-perfect mood. And the dash of magic too. (Creepy, creepy little girl, by the way. Creepy Stepford family. *shiver*)
With all that, it’s still a surprisingly smutty book. So much sex. And more sex. And making out. And sex. @.@ Not exactly what I expected from the lovey-dovey tone.
The sex really does take over completely towards the end to the point where I was just hoping it’d end soon, since there is nothing new to be discovered in the sex fests.
I like happy people. I like it when things just fit. Perfection, eh, I like it up to a point, too. But unmitigated, over-the-top, idealized perfection really does not make for a great story. Occasionally it makes for a satisfying read, but even so there has to be some tension and maybe a dash, just a small one, of believability. Here that did not really happen.
Not a great book. At the same time, the right person in the right mood will probably get a (sugar) kick out of it.
The man evidently had a workshop called Edge Wood right on the outskirts of town. Austin figured that pretty much covered all his areas of expertise. Brack Edge seemed to be all about wood.
Am I the only one who is outrageously amused by this? Because I doubt Austin intended that innuendo there.
The narrative feels a little like someone’s just casually telling me about a story. With all the repetitions and blatant explanatory statements. As usual with this author, good people are beautiful and evil people are ugly.
I know it’s this author’s thing, but this over-sharing from the get-go really does take away any possible tension from the developing relationship. So much dissecting what is happening between them. Gah.
And I am happy there’s huge trust but the decision to forego condoms seems awfully hasty. It’s only the second day and while they assured each other they’re clean… Well. And really. Lubeless? T_T It hurts to read. This does not happen every time but much too often for my taste.
Then that flashback. Jesus, that’s horrific. It kinda ruins the whole more-perfect-than-perfect mood. And the dash of magic too. (Creepy, creepy little girl, by the way. Creepy Stepford family. *shiver*)
With all that, it’s still a surprisingly smutty book. So much sex. And more sex. And making out. And sex. @.@ Not exactly what I expected from the lovey-dovey tone.
The sex really does take over completely towards the end to the point where I was just hoping it’d end soon, since there is nothing new to be discovered in the sex fests.
I like happy people. I like it when things just fit. Perfection, eh, I like it up to a point, too. But unmitigated, over-the-top, idealized perfection really does not make for a great story. Occasionally it makes for a satisfying read, but even so there has to be some tension and maybe a dash, just a small one, of believability. Here that did not really happen.
Not a great book. At the same time, the right person in the right mood will probably get a (sugar) kick out of it.
April 13, 2010
Austin's and Brack's romance is so saccharine, my teeth hurt. That's not a negative comment, by the way. It was a change to read a romance that started off right from Day One until the last page. Completely angst-free and problem-free, the book comes to a halt just when I was getting ready to see how Brack would take to New York.
Brackets is a simple, no-frills story of two men from vastly different worlds finding each other and no monsters of any kind to tear them apart. Much as I enjoyed Brackets, I did find it a little too long since the entire story is composed of the protags' romance and sexual marathons. The secondary characters didn't make much of an impact though Austin's account of his first love (can't remember his name) was very sad.
If you need a break from your M/M dramas, BDSM and such, A K M Miles' Brackets should be a treat as the HEA begins from the moment Austin and Bracket set eyes on each other.
Brackets is a simple, no-frills story of two men from vastly different worlds finding each other and no monsters of any kind to tear them apart. Much as I enjoyed Brackets, I did find it a little too long since the entire story is composed of the protags' romance and sexual marathons. The secondary characters didn't make much of an impact though Austin's account of his first love (can't remember his name) was very sad.
If you need a break from your M/M dramas, BDSM and such, A K M Miles' Brackets should be a treat as the HEA begins from the moment Austin and Bracket set eyes on each other.
March 28, 2012
A sugary-sweet novel, with what I found was just enough edge to prevent it being sickening, but for many, this novel will still be too sweet. This one will go on my comfort-read shelf, along with several others from this author. Yep, if you've read one by this author, you know the style. But I find these books are a perfect antidote the "life's crap" blues. :D
July 20, 2012
Less than 1 star.
I almost didn't want to finish this book.
Bored with the two MC's that got on my nerves almost immediately, bored with the story- if there was one at all. There was? o_O
I skipped pages and lots of text, because I couldn't stand it anymore.
I. simply. didn't. like. this. book.
I almost didn't want to finish this book.
Bored with the two MC's that got on my nerves almost immediately, bored with the story- if there was one at all. There was? o_O
I skipped pages and lots of text, because I couldn't stand it anymore.
I. simply. didn't. like. this. book.
April 3, 2012
I just could not get into the writing style of this book. The two mc's bored me to tears and the plot (if there was one)didn't grab my interest.
Did not finish it.
Did not finish it.
January 2, 2011
Really got to my heart. Not many do. :)
Read
May 12, 2009Brackets is almost a fairy tale, not since it has paranormal events, but since it's soo sweet and romantic that you almost have a glycaemia attack reading it. You think this is a bad thing? well not, I have a passion for sweet thing.
Let us start from the beginning. Austin is a photojournalist for a glittering New York gay men magazine. He is specialized in "from the heart" stories equipped with stunning pictures. So when the news that two twin brothers were killed in Iraq, and that they were two of the eight sons the same couple has lost, Austin has the job to show to the world the love that pushed the two guys to join the army.
Austin is a city boy, more than that, he is the son of a gang leader and he would be like his father if not for the boy he fell in love when he was only 15 years old. He walked so far from his youth thanks to the memory of that boy. So when he is plumbed in deep Tennessee, he is a bit disoriented. And the welcome committee is not of the best, since they are three homophobic who try to beat him up for good. The rescue arrives from a big bear of a man, Brack, so big that he seems never end. Brack is also the man who will be his guide in the unknown territory and who will bring him to the isolated ranch where the family he wants to interview lives.
If the sad tale of the twin brothers was not enough for your tender heart, and the angst story of Austin and his lost teen lover didn't put your down for good, here is the lethal blow (no pun intended): Brack is an out and proud gay man, so handsome and big, but tender and caring, the perfect wet-dream for every gay man, and he also switches in bed! I have no problem to admit that, when they kiss more or less one hour after they first met, I have given up trying to find a bitter thing in this story, and I was happily drowning in the sugar sea.
All right, don't get me wrong, I'm not sarcastic, it's only that you really need to let the story have its course, with all its ethereal and fairy tale events and don't try to be reasonable. You are a bit like Austin, unexpectedly cast in a unknown world (country town are like that for a city boy), and everything is new and strange, but if you let go, you can have the most stunning experience of your life. Well maybe for the reader is not so stunning like for Austin, who finds the love and the meaning of his life, but it could be a enjoyable experience. And also the sex in the book is quite enjoyable, free and easy, and often and everywhere.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HE1H9K/?...
Let us start from the beginning. Austin is a photojournalist for a glittering New York gay men magazine. He is specialized in "from the heart" stories equipped with stunning pictures. So when the news that two twin brothers were killed in Iraq, and that they were two of the eight sons the same couple has lost, Austin has the job to show to the world the love that pushed the two guys to join the army.
Austin is a city boy, more than that, he is the son of a gang leader and he would be like his father if not for the boy he fell in love when he was only 15 years old. He walked so far from his youth thanks to the memory of that boy. So when he is plumbed in deep Tennessee, he is a bit disoriented. And the welcome committee is not of the best, since they are three homophobic who try to beat him up for good. The rescue arrives from a big bear of a man, Brack, so big that he seems never end. Brack is also the man who will be his guide in the unknown territory and who will bring him to the isolated ranch where the family he wants to interview lives.
If the sad tale of the twin brothers was not enough for your tender heart, and the angst story of Austin and his lost teen lover didn't put your down for good, here is the lethal blow (no pun intended): Brack is an out and proud gay man, so handsome and big, but tender and caring, the perfect wet-dream for every gay man, and he also switches in bed! I have no problem to admit that, when they kiss more or less one hour after they first met, I have given up trying to find a bitter thing in this story, and I was happily drowning in the sugar sea.
All right, don't get me wrong, I'm not sarcastic, it's only that you really need to let the story have its course, with all its ethereal and fairy tale events and don't try to be reasonable. You are a bit like Austin, unexpectedly cast in a unknown world (country town are like that for a city boy), and everything is new and strange, but if you let go, you can have the most stunning experience of your life. Well maybe for the reader is not so stunning like for Austin, who finds the love and the meaning of his life, but it could be a enjoyable experience. And also the sex in the book is quite enjoyable, free and easy, and often and everywhere.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HE1H9K/?...
October 8, 2013
1.5 stars
Too sugary sweet for my taste. Austin feeling such strong attraction upon meeting Brack annoyed me a bit. After 2 years of trying to avoid being setup with the guy (who at that point he didn't know was his friend's brother) I found it hard that he could just start falling for the guy. Especially since he wasn't sure he could ever love again (er..didn't want to love again).
Randy, Bethany, Marveline and Homer's stories were interesting and heart aching. I thought the author could have made a bigger impact with the situation involving the Raines.
Too sugary sweet for my taste. Austin feeling such strong attraction upon meeting Brack annoyed me a bit. After 2 years of trying to avoid being setup with the guy (who at that point he didn't know was his friend's brother) I found it hard that he could just start falling for the guy. Especially since he wasn't sure he could ever love again (er..didn't want to love again).
Randy, Bethany, Marveline and Homer's stories were interesting and heart aching. I thought the author could have made a bigger impact with the situation involving the Raines.
June 28, 2015
Finally finished after been on current list it is slow pace but also fast pace.
Austin an photojournalist has a chance in a life time to write this story. Not only he has a chance to write an story he meet the brack. both hit it off and help a local kid on the way. Austin is amazed the place he has come to and help fall for brack.
Austin an photojournalist has a chance in a life time to write this story. Not only he has a chance to write an story he meet the brack. both hit it off and help a local kid on the way. Austin is amazed the place he has come to and help fall for brack.
September 22, 2013
An extremely sweet story but with some tough side elements dealt to minor characters. I'd love to know if the family that our MC travels to meet and write about is based on a similar true life story.
August 1, 2011
4.5stars
December 1, 2010
Great love story. All the characters are wonderful.
October 13, 2014
A very sexy story about falling in love. Charming and interesting MC's with some very hot sex. Not a lot of drama but great secondary characters keep the story flowing.
March 8, 2018
Too much sweetness and light - from the main characters to the parents who had lost 8 children. Not to mention the mother who was blind. Just ....... too much.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews