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Haven #1
Bedside Manner: Haven / House Call / In Sickness and Health
Who needs a little TLC? Who doesn't? The doctor is in, and he's got just the prescription you need. Open wide and say ahhhh.
In Haven, by Lee Benoit, there's no risk too big, no chance too small and no risk not worth taking, Haven serves double duty as a picaresque rogue and a clever, rule-breaking male nurse who takes a chance on love at first sight with a new father who needs Haven's help to protect his son. Set against a backdrop of the 1970's, Haven proves with his quick wit and stubborn courage that he's more than just a pretty face and a white coat.
In House Call, by Jane Davitt Dr. Paul Jackson is a gentle doctor with a passion for his work, but can't stop thinking about the one chance he took on a one-night stand. The last place he expects to see that mystery man again is during a life-or-death emergency. All Paul wants is to wash his hands of the charismatic Steve, but while they're working together that's not going to happen.
Finally, In Sickness and Health, by Sean Michael, brings The Jarheads back in new adventure--a journey through sickness and health with Rock, Rig and Dick, who stand by their man come what may, no matter what they come down with. Colds and flu are no match for the Jarheads, who know that cold medicine's great in its place, but the one sure cure for what ails them is good old sexual healing.
In Haven, by Lee Benoit, there's no risk too big, no chance too small and no risk not worth taking, Haven serves double duty as a picaresque rogue and a clever, rule-breaking male nurse who takes a chance on love at first sight with a new father who needs Haven's help to protect his son. Set against a backdrop of the 1970's, Haven proves with his quick wit and stubborn courage that he's more than just a pretty face and a white coat.
In House Call, by Jane Davitt Dr. Paul Jackson is a gentle doctor with a passion for his work, but can't stop thinking about the one chance he took on a one-night stand. The last place he expects to see that mystery man again is during a life-or-death emergency. All Paul wants is to wash his hands of the charismatic Steve, but while they're working together that's not going to happen.
Finally, In Sickness and Health, by Sean Michael, brings The Jarheads back in new adventure--a journey through sickness and health with Rock, Rig and Dick, who stand by their man come what may, no matter what they come down with. Colds and flu are no match for the Jarheads, who know that cold medicine's great in its place, but the one sure cure for what ails them is good old sexual healing.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2009
87 people want to read
About the author
Lee Benoit
49 books21 followersBefore dawn and after dark, Lee Benoit is a writer of queer fiction, some contemporary, some speculative, some historical. During the daylight hours she is a professor of sociology & anthropology. In the old days, Lee traveled the world doing field research. Nowadays, she lives in the middle of a New England hayfield where being a two-spirit single parent provides more than enough excitement. Lee also paints watercolors, bakes wild-yeast sourdough bread, and shares her bed with a pair of cats and an abjectly adoring hound-retriever mutt. Whenever she gets itchy feet and misses the world of research and advocacy, Lee invents a new world in her head and takes notes on what happens there.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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May 29, 2013Five stars for House Call, by Jane Davitt.
(Can’t add an overall rating until I have read the other stories too, which I might not end up doing, so here you go.)
Ah. So lovely.
In the beginning we get a prickly protagonist. And an antagonistic love interest. Definitely interesting, if not wholly comfortable.
Granted, I took a long time for the first section because other things kept getting in the way, but the emergence of the second viewpoint came as a welcome surprise.
Eventually… This is funny and strange. During the first half of the story I had the distinct impression that . If this shift is a clever sleight of hand, I must have missed that during my extended breaks from the story. That’s a real pity.
This. This is precisely what keeps wringing the last vestiges of solace from me over and over.
There are more bits like that, bits that I just want to snip and keep around because they poignantly evoke something that’s familiar and unusual to read phrased like that at the same time.
I do love the writing style. Peppered here and there with smarter words than average, yet every single one of them was a precise fit. Nothing pretentious at all.
I’m thinking this is the story of a powerful connection, one cut off almost immediately, but so strong that even years do not diminish its impact. Perhaps that’s what makes me like this so much. A genuine love story, as unlikely as it seems given that love – or whatever that connection signifies – struck much like a bolt of lightning.
Usually I am not too fond of stories about long separations, or even significant smaller ones. Here, though, they add to the build-up and the natural sequence of events.
Here’s a slight issue. The slices of dialogue flashback (only two of them, really) are injected into actual dialogue without any markers whatsoever. That’s… confusing, maybe, although for some reason I caught on immediately both times.
Worse by far is the name swap in the second flashback. Very awkward and misleading.
But it passes quickly and I’m at the end. A very sweet ending, suitably filled with heat and the same level of real-people-ism that prevailed during all that went before. And while often snippets of reality depress me, I just completely enjoyed this story instead.
(Can’t add an overall rating until I have read the other stories too, which I might not end up doing, so here you go.)
Ah. So lovely.
In the beginning we get a prickly protagonist. And an antagonistic love interest. Definitely interesting, if not wholly comfortable.
Granted, I took a long time for the first section because other things kept getting in the way, but the emergence of the second viewpoint came as a welcome surprise.
Eventually… This is funny and strange. During the first half of the story I had the distinct impression that . If this shift is a clever sleight of hand, I must have missed that during my extended breaks from the story. That’s a real pity.
(…) weariness was making him feel physically sick, but he knew that if he lay down he’d just keep seeing Matt’s face as the light left it.
This. This is precisely what keeps wringing the last vestiges of solace from me over and over.
There are more bits like that, bits that I just want to snip and keep around because they poignantly evoke something that’s familiar and unusual to read phrased like that at the same time.
I do love the writing style. Peppered here and there with smarter words than average, yet every single one of them was a precise fit. Nothing pretentious at all.
I’m thinking this is the story of a powerful connection, one cut off almost immediately, but so strong that even years do not diminish its impact. Perhaps that’s what makes me like this so much. A genuine love story, as unlikely as it seems given that love – or whatever that connection signifies – struck much like a bolt of lightning.
Usually I am not too fond of stories about long separations, or even significant smaller ones. Here, though, they add to the build-up and the natural sequence of events.
Here’s a slight issue. The slices of dialogue flashback (only two of them, really) are injected into actual dialogue without any markers whatsoever. That’s… confusing, maybe, although for some reason I caught on immediately both times.
Worse by far is the name swap in the second flashback. Very awkward and misleading.
But it passes quickly and I’m at the end. A very sweet ending, suitably filled with heat and the same level of real-people-ism that prevailed during all that went before. And while often snippets of reality depress me, I just completely enjoyed this story instead.
December 28, 2012
I chose this anthology because I am a fan of Sean Michael's Jarheads series. Anthologies are a good way to scope out new authors besides enjoying stories from authors you already like. Generally, I find a little bit of everything from the disappointing to the truly enjoyable, but this particular anthology offered three stories that were all good. The stories are all set around the medical field theme.
The first story about Haven the male nurse and Vietnam army medic veteran was a blast from the past as it took place in the 70s. I loved the backdrop which was authentic, the exciting plot, and I enjoyed both the main characters.
The second story was about Paul who left the city to become a country doctor only to go out on a house call and run into the one guy who caught his attention, but then left him after one night and no way to reach him. The past must be revisted along with the added barrier that Paul is not out in the open about being gay. Another winner!
And the third story and reason I read the anthology? Yes, it was a good installment in the story of Rock, Rig and Dick. Illness takes over their home and its up to Doc Rig to care for his guys, but then when the situation is reversed he must trust his men to care for him. As usual the humorous take on these guys and their antics was fun to read.
All were good and I loved the variety of writing styles and tones that made up the story collection.
The first story about Haven the male nurse and Vietnam army medic veteran was a blast from the past as it took place in the 70s. I loved the backdrop which was authentic, the exciting plot, and I enjoyed both the main characters.
The second story was about Paul who left the city to become a country doctor only to go out on a house call and run into the one guy who caught his attention, but then left him after one night and no way to reach him. The past must be revisted along with the added barrier that Paul is not out in the open about being gay. Another winner!
And the third story and reason I read the anthology? Yes, it was a good installment in the story of Rock, Rig and Dick. Illness takes over their home and its up to Doc Rig to care for his guys, but then when the situation is reversed he must trust his men to care for him. As usual the humorous take on these guys and their antics was fun to read.
All were good and I loved the variety of writing styles and tones that made up the story collection.
March 12, 2014
I was so sure I read this, but couldn't find it anywhere, until I dug out my old kindle, 1st Gen., and voila! There it was! So, de facto this will be a re-read.
First read Feb. 2009
Overall 3.5 stars
Haven by Lee Benoit - 3 stars, another one of the 3*-stories.
House Call by Jane Davitt - 4 stars
In Sickness and Health by Sean Michael - 3 stars
First read Feb. 2009
Overall 3.5 stars
Haven by Lee Benoit - 3 stars, another one of the 3*-stories.
House Call by Jane Davitt - 4 stars
In Sickness and Health by Sean Michael - 3 stars
February 5, 2018
4 stars for house call
November 1, 2012
Nothing outstanding, but 3 enjoyable stories
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
"Haven" by Lee Benoit - 8/10
PROS:
- Uplifting story that takes place in my least favorite decade of American history. ‘70s references are certainly present--enough to give a decent indication of the story’s setting--but I didn’t find them overwhelming.
- Sharp writing that’s often funny. It’s very similar to Syd McGinley’s writing style: it’s in present tense, the tone is conversational, and plot elements are related in concise detail.
- Unusual story. I didn’t get anything like an “I’ve seen this before” feeling while reading it.
CON:
- First person narration that alternates between two characters’ perspectives. I encountered this storytelling technique recently when reading Laney Cairo’s Bad Case of Loving You, and the switching has a tendency to cause serious confusion. The confusion is lessened here, though, by the presence of Dickensian chapter titles, each of which begins with “In which Tadeo…” or “In which Haven…”
"House Call" by Jane Davitt - 7/10
PROS:
- Likeable characters, even the secondary ones. I particularly liked Paul’s mentor/supervisor, Dr. Raines, who’s unafraid to step on people’s toes and/or throw an elbow into someone’s ribs.
- Some amusing little comments in the exposition. For example: “when he’d thought about Steve he’d felt pleasantly nostalgic because Steve had seemed like a nice guy. Alcohol and lust had a lot to answer for.”
CON:
- Conversations that happened in the past are related as flashbacks, but at times there’s no indication that what you’re reading is a flashback. Here’s one: “‘I called you because you gave me your number and you seemed to understand what he wanted.’ [Happening at the time of the story] ‘I want to see you again, I really do, but I don’t want--no pressure, okay?’ [Happened 2 years before the story began]”
"In Sickness and Health" by Sean Michael - 6/10
PROS:
- Fun, likeable characters. Especially Rig: he’s a nurturer clean to the bone. If you haven’t read other Jarheads stories, though, I don’t know that you’re likely to get a good idea of the men’s personalities from reading just this story.
- A few sweet, if slight, shared moments between Rock and Dick, whose emotional link I’ve always thought was the weakest in the threesome.
- Some funny moments that illustrate the characters’ closeness and their comfort level with one another. During one sex scene, when Rock and Dick start talking too much (talking off-topic, that is; dirty talk doesn’t count), Rig pipes up with, “Marines. Boys. Y’all. Focus.”
CONS:
- Tons of sex. To the exclusion of pretty much everything else (e.g., a plot). If you’re a fan of the Jarheads series already, this is basic Jarheads stuff. If you’re not a fan, this story will give you an abbreviated (as compared to the novels) idea of what the stories contain. Which is…tons of sex.
- The sex scenes and dialogue get repetitive. The phrase that stuck out the most to me in this story was “You know it,” which must occur about 15 times.
Overall comments: I didn’t find any of these stories just amazing, but I liked them all. The Michael story is probably the weakest, character- and story-wise, but at this point in the Jarheads saga, I read the stories because I like the whole series, not because I expect any one story to be fantastic.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
"Haven" by Lee Benoit - 8/10
PROS:
- Uplifting story that takes place in my least favorite decade of American history. ‘70s references are certainly present--enough to give a decent indication of the story’s setting--but I didn’t find them overwhelming.
- Sharp writing that’s often funny. It’s very similar to Syd McGinley’s writing style: it’s in present tense, the tone is conversational, and plot elements are related in concise detail.
- Unusual story. I didn’t get anything like an “I’ve seen this before” feeling while reading it.
CON:
- First person narration that alternates between two characters’ perspectives. I encountered this storytelling technique recently when reading Laney Cairo’s Bad Case of Loving You, and the switching has a tendency to cause serious confusion. The confusion is lessened here, though, by the presence of Dickensian chapter titles, each of which begins with “In which Tadeo…” or “In which Haven…”
"House Call" by Jane Davitt - 7/10
PROS:
- Likeable characters, even the secondary ones. I particularly liked Paul’s mentor/supervisor, Dr. Raines, who’s unafraid to step on people’s toes and/or throw an elbow into someone’s ribs.
- Some amusing little comments in the exposition. For example: “when he’d thought about Steve he’d felt pleasantly nostalgic because Steve had seemed like a nice guy. Alcohol and lust had a lot to answer for.”
CON:
- Conversations that happened in the past are related as flashbacks, but at times there’s no indication that what you’re reading is a flashback. Here’s one: “‘I called you because you gave me your number and you seemed to understand what he wanted.’ [Happening at the time of the story] ‘I want to see you again, I really do, but I don’t want--no pressure, okay?’ [Happened 2 years before the story began]”
"In Sickness and Health" by Sean Michael - 6/10
PROS:
- Fun, likeable characters. Especially Rig: he’s a nurturer clean to the bone. If you haven’t read other Jarheads stories, though, I don’t know that you’re likely to get a good idea of the men’s personalities from reading just this story.
- A few sweet, if slight, shared moments between Rock and Dick, whose emotional link I’ve always thought was the weakest in the threesome.
- Some funny moments that illustrate the characters’ closeness and their comfort level with one another. During one sex scene, when Rock and Dick start talking too much (talking off-topic, that is; dirty talk doesn’t count), Rig pipes up with, “Marines. Boys. Y’all. Focus.”
CONS:
- Tons of sex. To the exclusion of pretty much everything else (e.g., a plot). If you’re a fan of the Jarheads series already, this is basic Jarheads stuff. If you’re not a fan, this story will give you an abbreviated (as compared to the novels) idea of what the stories contain. Which is…tons of sex.
- The sex scenes and dialogue get repetitive. The phrase that stuck out the most to me in this story was “You know it,” which must occur about 15 times.
Overall comments: I didn’t find any of these stories just amazing, but I liked them all. The Michael story is probably the weakest, character- and story-wise, but at this point in the Jarheads saga, I read the stories because I like the whole series, not because I expect any one story to be fantastic.
July 3, 2014
Lee Benoit, 2.5 sars, too many references to the leather scene and someone nicknamed Daddy, so not my thing, but I liked the two MCs
Jane Davitt, 4 stars, the flashbacks were sometimes unclearly marked as such and confused me a bit, but a nice story
Sean Michael, no rating, I don't read threesomes
Jane Davitt, 4 stars, the flashbacks were sometimes unclearly marked as such and confused me a bit, but a nice story
Sean Michael, no rating, I don't read threesomes
April 25, 2018
I bought this book because of Sean Michael's Jarhead story - he can do no wrong and this story does not disappoint. I found the other 2 books very entertaining and will be looking for more from these authors as well.
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November 30, 2014I've only read one short in this anthology-- Lee Benoit's Haven. Here's my review for that short:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 6, 2011
Haven (Book #1) by Lee Benoit: 3 stars
House Call by Jane Davitt: 3 stars
In Sickness and Health (A Jarheads Story) by Sean Michaels: 5 stars
House Call by Jane Davitt: 3 stars
In Sickness and Health (A Jarheads Story) by Sean Michaels: 5 stars
November 29, 2010
Jane Davitt - House Call 4 stars
November 30, 2018
Read on May 16, 2014
Re-read November 30, 2018
3.5 stars
Re-read November 30, 2018
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews