Lift Me Up

by Rayne Auster

Hurt and betrayed by his best friend, Avery is not exactly on a quest to find love when it literally stumbles upon him in the form of Dylan Kincaid, his new, sexy neighbor. Avery is quick to forgive the fact that Dylan's arrival brings with it a series of unfortunate events hairy enough to keep the most optimistic person down, and he sets about trying to get into Dylan's pants. But love isn't so easy to catch, and Avery will have to face Dylan's past and his own aversion to elevators on his way to happiness.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Yaoi, Gay, LGBT, Humor

82 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2010

About the author

Rayne Auster always had a passion for writing. However, growing up, she didn’t have the patience to finish what she started. Most of her projects died before even seeing the light of day. While studying for a master's degree in computer science, she decided to post what she wrote online. That is when she discovered the joy of sharing the stories in her head. Unable to bear the thought of leaving her readers hanging, she finished her first piece of fiction. The satisfaction of actually completing a story quickly led to further inspiration, and she hasn't looked back since.

You can contact Rayne at rayne.auster@gmail.com.

Reviews

[JenMcJ]

This had a very unique author voice. It was like someone standing in your living room relating a story with a glass of wine in their hand while the other waves in the air with an audience raptly listening.

As one of the crowd standing around for the tale, I found it refreshing and quirky with run away thoughts and re-corraled thinking spilling out hither and thither.

I was compeltely on board until the end. As much as the end really did go with the stand around story telling with bigger than life coincidence and "no shit!" gasps, it still thudded to an end as the elevator doors closed.

I am at that party now and I want to ask "Huh, how could that be? What happened next?" but unfortunately the storyteller has left the building.

[Darien]

PROJECT LET RANDOM.ORG CHOOSE MY BOOK FROM ALL THE BOOKS I OWN AND READ IT REGARDLESS OF IF I WANT TO OR NOT!

3.5

This one was a quick sweet read. A little unusually written but it was still quite entertaining. Who doesn’t like elevator sex, sex with a broken leg, being stuck on an elevator while someone else has sex? Wait...just me then 😁

[Karen K]

The first part of this book made me laugh out loud - poor Avery having to endure straight sex. It was a sweet little story but unlike most books written in first person I didn't end up feeling much emotion towards Avery. I liked his wit and sarcasm and cynicism but I think I just wanted a little more out of him. As for Dylan, he seemed like a wonderful character too, but I don't feel like I ever got to know him. I liked the way the story was written but maybe I just needed it to be a little longer to really connect with it. Loved the cover, by the way.

[Kassa]

This is one of those stories that is meant to be a comedy of errors and the readers identify with the narrator, who is not Mr. Perfect, but instead just a normal guy hoping to find love. The story does this decently but there are too many problems with the plot and writing to actually succeed. Instead this story has its moments of humor and charm but ultimately is dull, manic, and not interesting.

The first person narrative doesn’t help matters as the story starts with the heartbreak of our hero without an explanation of why he was so devastated. Then through an ever-increasing series of mishaps including broken bones, crutches, and clumsy maneavours, two men find love. Unfortunately the basis for their relationship and why they’re together all happens off page. All the readers see on page are the ridiculous and somewhat confusing antics to introduce the two men and then the problems they have. All the positive scenes and the relationship building happens off page. One moment they’re having wild sex right after Avery broke his ankle and the next they’ve moved in together since they’re doing so great after a brief jealousy mishap.

Neither character is well developed or given much to them. Avery is insecure and supposed to come off as charming and quirky as an everyday man with a bit of bad luck. Unfortunately he comes across as immature, pouty, and completely incapable of a mature conversation. He seems to riot between emotions, becoming incensed over the smallest comment and I frankly didn’t know why Dylan bothered with him in the first place. I suppose some will find their relationship humorous and entertaining but the poor writing, shifting prose tenses, and nonstop falling down had me struggling with the screwball comedy aspect of the book.

[Kukko]

Main Characters: Dylan Kincaid & Avery Brooks (aka Tweety Bird)
Key Themes: Humor, H/C

A very short (82 pages) but witty MM romance involving a lawyer and technical writer.

Avery trips and hurts his ankle outside his apartment. It's not exactly clear how his gorgeous new neighbor, Dylan, was the cause of the accident, but he and his friend Michael, end up taking Avery to the hospital. Turns out Avery's ankle is broken. He gets a cast put on and the next afternoon Dylan comes over and they have sex! Oh…and this was after Avery had insisted on walking up twelve flights of stairs the night before, after arriving home from the hospital!

Did I mention that Avery is a bottom? So all the time the MCs are having "mind-blowing" sex, all I can think is "err..doesn't he have a cast on?"…"did he just push Avery's broken ankle towards his head…WTF... with a cast on?"…."why isn't Avery screaming in pain". Clearly who ever wrote this story has never broken a bone nor had a cast put on…(BTW, neither have I…touch wood!), but at least I know that the first few days are super uncomfortable.

Anyway, all nitpicking aside, this was a fun story with cheeky characters and sharp dialogue. The MCs were surprisingly well-defined for such a short story and their interactions were full of spark… which I guess made up somewhat for the story's flaws.

This felt like the first chapter of a book….it was just too short. I do need to mention the great chapter headings..they were a nice touch!

[Jimmy Hanson]

Full of mis-haps and may-haps, "Lift Me Up" was a cute and playful read, the kind of novel you'd like to pull out when you want something funny and short to lighten your mood.

Avery is an adorable, smart-assed, pushy little bottom and the 1st person POV, while Dylan is a common-sense, kind-hearted guy next door. I especially liked how Dylan had such a dogged, analytical mind [and how Rayne Auster backed up that claim with proof in his words and actions:], and how Avery remained true to the sort-of clutsy but smart persona. Too often the bottom person in a relationship is displayed as a flighty ditz; Avery sort of acts like that, but with more kick, and it's obvious there is cleverness behind it displayed in how he switches often between playful and sarcastic without malice.

A good read, definitely recommended.

[Betryal]

For those of you who have read A Matter of Time and enjoy the backlash, backlip, snarky mouth of Jory than you're definitely going to get a kick out of Avery in this one. He's fawking lovable, quick to the bite and his comebacks are hilarious not to mention his thoughts alone and his brain working a mile a minute keeps you amused nonstop!

I definitely, positively and absolutely would like to see another book and read more on these 2 and I'm almost ready to beg to see what happens with with Kayden and Michael.

Damn good story!

[Elizabetta]

2.5 stars

Boy breaks ankle, meets hunk, and deals with elevator-sex phobia (which was the most interesting part, really). Verbose and inflated and much ado about nothing much at all, this tried hard to be charming but was a miss for me.

[Ari]

So, I take this story to pass my time, queuing in immigration office.
I love the cover ♥
The story itself, was quite entertaining with Avery smart-ass voice and I have to give it credit for Star War & Star Trek reference.

[Saritza]

I must admit that this book was originally an impulse-buy. I loved the cover, found the blurb amusing and thought, "meh if I don't like it, I at least enjoyed the cover". Sometimes, we find great stuff on impulse. :)

Summary: Hurt and betrayed by his best friend, Avery is not exactly on a quest to find love when it literally stumbles upon him in the form of Dylan Kincaid, his new, sexy neighbor. Avery is quick to forgive the fact that Dylan's arrival brings with it a series of unfortunate events hairy enough to keep the most optimistic person down, and he sets about trying to get into Dylan's pants. But love isn't so easy to catch, and Avery will have to face Dylan's past and his own aversion to elevators on his way to happiness.

What I liked about this book: This book has a great voice! Avery tells you this tale in first person without holding any punches or letting his inner monologue derail the conversation... completely. :) The very first paragraph completely drew me in:

EVER encountered the cliché tale where a couple finds one another while stuck in an elevator? You know the drill. Enter protagonist one, followed by protagonist two, followed by the elevator doors closing oh so slowly, almost as if the electronic devices themselves were lost within the sensuality of the moment to come. The elevator starts to move up and the audience holds its breath in anticipation waiting for the moment when, yes, you guessed it, the power cuts out and the elevator stalls.

The story moves quickly and Avery's quirky commentary keeps you in stitches while still maintaining a great erotic mood when the mood strikes.

Excerpt: With the promise of victory in my sight, I was not about to give up. I changed tactics and swung my leg over his, effectively straddling his lap. It was not the most graceful of movements, seeing as I was hindered by additional weight around my ankle, but I didn’t care. Once in position, I thrust aggressively up, pushing my erection directly into his groin. Remember that little interesting ten-second fact I dropped a little while back? Seems there may be some validity to it.

Dylan was every bit as hard as I was. His breath escaped him with a hiss. He groaned and instinctively grabbed my hips (I think he intended to push me away, but it didn’t quite work out like that). His hands held me in place and his eyes glazed over. Then he thrust up against me, rubbing his erection over mine. “Ay-very.” I didn’t take offense at the emphasis he put on my name this time. In fact, I found I quite liked the sound of it on his hoarse breath. “We should finish talking first.”

“Time for talking is over.” I twisted my hips out of his grasp and rubbed up against him, returning the jagged thrusts of his hips. Reaching into his hair, I grabbed his scalp and leaned in towards him. “It’s time for action now.” I allowed my breath to linger on his lips for but a moment before yet again claiming his lips in an aggressive kiss. I was, after all, tired of waiting for him to make a move. I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth and was surprised when his lips parted, granting me the entrance I was seeking earlier. I slipped my tongue into the warm heat of his mouth and savored the taste of vanilla within. He let me explore his mouth, his tongue brushing against mine to encourage the embrace, and I took full advantage of it. I thoroughly delved into every corner I could reach: his teeth with the crooked kink just to the right, his palate, the lining of his cheeks. I left no stone unturned, or more specifically, no nerve un-stroked, and the sheer sense of power that coursed through me was addictive.

All too soon, I felt the need to breathe. I reluctantly pulled back from the mind-boggling kiss and rested my forehead against his shoulder, a hungry whimper escaping my lips. I thrust up against him again and groaned, nearly unraveled by the rough texture of the jeans he wore. The single motion was not enough, so I repeated it, pushing harder with each thrust only to cry out when his hands upon my hips halted my motion once again.

“Pushy little bottom, aren’t you?” His breath was as heavy and ragged as mine was, and the warmth of it ruffled my hair. I never would have thought warm air drifting through my hair could be sensual, but it was. Everything about Dylan was sensual, and I couldn’t help but crave him. I lifted myself up in an attempt to escape his hold on my hips once again and the motion brought me level with his ear. “Who says I’m a bottom?” I breathed directly into it, unable to resist the urge to steal his seduction tactic from
him.

“I do.” With that said, he slid his hands down and palmed my ass cheeks. Checkmate. I win.

[Tam]

I have never read this author before but the premise sounded great so I took it. It's done in an unusual narrative style, first person but done as if he's talking to you personally and retelling the story. It starts with Avery recounting a tale of hot sex in an elevator, but seems he's not the one getting it. He's so devastated by his best friend's actions that he collapsed by his apartment door. Dylan trips over him while moving in and ends up breaking his ankle. Avery and Dylan are immediately attracted and they start dating by default, as Dylan helps care for Avery with his broken ankle. There is some stuff with Dylan's ex and Dylan trying to find out why Avery refuses to take the elevator but goes up 12 flights of stairs instead (must have incredible cardiovascular health LOL). There is a touch of humour as tech nerd Avery doesn't think of himself as much of a catch and lawyer Dylan is gorgeous, but I was really taken in by the way the story is told. You only get Avery's perspective and he doesn't tell you OR Dylan much until Dylan prods and pokes enough. You never find out exactly what the deal is with the elevator until later, why he never had sex for two years until he lets it drop, you just glimpses of things. You don't know much about Dylan except what Avery tells you, mentions he's not perfect but you don't know why exactly but you still know there relationship is special. So I'm not sure what it was, but the style combined with characters I enjoyed made this work for me. I would definitely check out this author again.

[Trix]

I varied in rating with this but in the end decided on 3 stars.

I didn't quite understand at first why Avery was so affected by his friend's reaction? If they were indeed only friends, his devastation seemed a bit exaggerated. Not to mention his involvement with Dylan was sudden, considering he was still mopping after Kayden. The first point of view writing actually distanced me from the character at first. It felt like remote viewing for some reason. It got better as the story progressed.

And it was ironic and a bit strange that said friend (Kaydan) while sleeping around with a random girl to hurt Avery, ultimately ends up with Michael.

While it took me a while to get into the feel of the story, I ended up liking it and appreciating Avery's personality and witty addressing of the readers. So, 3 stars for getting my HEA with a drop of humour.

[Mati]

Ouch that book hurt on so many levels. I hit something which was not my cup of coffee. The main character Avery was whiny spoiled man, whose constant whining and accusing was annoying. I finished it with gritted teeth.

But I do not think that novella was bad. It was not simply for me .

[Ada]

***WHY THE RE-READ***

Once upon a time I was a huge manga fan.

I quickly found Yaoi/Yuri because I'm a huge romance sucker. The thing with Yaoi/Yuri though is that most of the time it's straight up erotica with a little bit of almost no plot. Which was fine with me at the time. But after a while I wanted to read books without pictures.
So romance it was. I don't know when exactly but I discovered this sub-genre (can you really call it a sub-genre?).

Yaoi in word form. In English! At the time I bought every e-book there was from these kind of authors. SIDENOTE:Thank god I always was such a gadget whore and already had a e-Reader at the time ( oh Sony PRS-300 I still miss you...) or else I never could've read the PDF files. So old skool.

Enough reminiscing. Back to the now.

For some reason while I was scrolling through Goodreads I began thinking about a book cover. This cover had a very distinct art style and it was driving me mad that I couldn't remember the author and/or the title.
After getting sidetracked many many many times I've now started a new project: Re-reading books I once upon a time loved but didn't add to Goodreads in this genre. I don't know how I came to the conclusion this was a good idea but there you go. This is one of those books. I won't re-read everything by this author. Ain't nobody got time for that. So I made a selection from the most interesting sounding ones.

Dear Future-Me,

Write a goddamn review or else I will be pissed.

Love Past-Me

[Myth M]

DNF@64%

if I hear the words "masculine pride" one more time, I'm going to start throwing my furniture. What is with these authors thinking everything besides being a douchebag is putting aside your masculine pride?

I kid you not. In this book that is merely 79 pages long, I've heard these words from the main character at least half a dozen times. The most diabolical one was:
"I went with the honest response, ignoring my masculine pride and choosing to bare myself to him"

?? ??
This occurs multiple times btw. Possibly every time the mc behaves like a human being (being honest/moaning/accepting he's attracted to the other guy), he specifies that he's choosing to ignore his masculine pride.
Is even communication effeminate now? And is anything that isn't masculine, a shot to your pride?
Subconscious macho stereotyping in a gay book is crazy.

And even if one doesn’t mind that, the prose is so verbose it drives one to insanity. At first I appreciated the good vocabulary and writing in what appeared to me initially as a smut-only novella. But it got exhausting real fast.
I don’t need 4-line sentences like “deciding to suppress my snarky tendencies, although I’m not usually one to back down from a fight, I decided to concede and told him” ALL THE TIME.

Overuse of a writing style like that puts me out of the plot.

[Elisa Rolle]

This is a very nice novella with a good push on the light and funny button. Soon after having a bad experience with best friend Kayden in the elevator, so bad to leave Avery traumatized and unable to take again one, Avery meets new neighbour Dylan. Actually more than a meeting it’s a clashing, Dylan stumbles over Avery breaking his ankle. The only right thing at this point is to take Avery to the ER and at the same time, trying to extract as much information as possible from the little man, who seems to have some trouble to form a coherent thought.

If the reader is thinking that Avery is shocked, by the bad experience and the accident, it will soon realize that it’s not, Avery is like that in his ordinary behaviour: while Dylan is asking him something, Avery is always thinking and planning something else in his mind and it’s too much concentrated on his goal to let his mind pays attention to the question on hand.

Dylan and Avery agree on one thing from moment one: there is no doubt that they have now a relationship, and a simple and ordinary thing like asking someone out or spending some time to know each other before embarking in a relationship, is not something that is worth to spend time on. Avery is coming out from a dry spell of more than 2 years and so, maybe, having the unexpected luck of an hunky neighbour who seems as taken as him, it’s not something that he will let it go.

There is no big drama on this story, even the little one, like a former twink boyfriend of Dylan and Avery’s phobia of elevators (better of one elevator in particular, his own), are dealt with a light and funny hand. Basically this is a comedy more than a romance, and its purpose is to bring a smile on your face, something that for me worked perfectly.

On a side note, I found really strange but interesting the writing style of the author, that was more like a brainstorming of Avery’s mind more than a linear development of a plot. Since we are basically inside Avery’s mind, Dylan’s character is maybe not so much development, but it’s all the same really good, I wouldn’t mind to read the story also from his point of view.

Side note: it's the first time that I find a character who does exactly my job, and the explanation he gave, even with the preface that it's not easy to explain, and even what he does more than his specifically skills, is exactly what I do.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0033780YU/?...

[Wendy❤Ann]

The style of this book was interesting and very different from any that I've read so far. It's written from Avery's point of view as if he's relating the story of how he met Dylan. There's a lot of humor and sarcasm weaved into Avery's telling of the story that was quite enjoyable. I think the hard part for me was that I didn't really get to truly experience the characters - especially Dylan. Parts of the story were a little bit confusing or left open for interpretation (especially the ending). In most cases, I like a little more meat to my stories, but I think the short novella length of this one suited the style. Again, it was different, but I liked it:)

[Danni]

This was quite a funny read about how Avery and Dylan met and got together. I like the dynamic and the banter between the two and how the story is told.
The beginning and ending feels a little separate from the rest of the story, mostly because they explore relationships that I would have liked to know more about. However for this story the middle was more important and that all cam together nicely.

All in all this was a short, funny and hot read.

[Lexi Ander]

This is a 2.5 for me. I rounded up because it was better than just "okay".

This was cute and at times funny but it really left me feeling bludgeoned by witty repartee. I can't believe that I am saying this but there was just over the top. It was like trying to track a hummingbird's wings the way Avery thought and talked. It was exhausting to keep track of.

[Shanaz]

Okay, I admit, it was actually the cover that made me pick up this book. But I'm glad, I was in a mood read something light. And it's one of the few books written in the 1st person POV that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Avery's snarkiness kept me amused through out xD I'd definitely be reading this again!

I hope there's a sequel maybe with Micheal and Kayden in it! XD

[mah1]

This was pretty meh. I've always had a high rate of not liking books that are intentionally funny, my sense of humor simply doesn't work that way most of the time.

Lift Me Up was written well and the MCs were sympathetic, but the stroy didn't grab my attention. Best paty was the very end, always had a thing for side characters.

[Chris]

Cute m/m romance about an IT geek who ends up with a broken ankle when his cute neighbor trips over him in the hallway. I got a little frustrated with the dense language now and then, mostly because my brain was in the mood for fluff.

[Tara]

This was a smart funny book. Told in first person by a computer IT guy, Avery, we follow a relationship from moments before it starts through all the events that get it started until we come full circle. The full circle part confuses me a bit, but other than that, really fun.

[Devon Rhodes]

3.5 stars

[Indigo]

So humourous I had lots of fun & laughs reading it, I want more like it.

[Tracy's Place]

3.25 out of 5

[Miriki]

Nice and easy read. :)

[Carly]

Amusing. Hot. Lovely.

[Sylvia]

Funny and uplifting

[Mandy*reads obsessively*]

After I got used to the narrative style, I enjoyed the story, Avery is funny and I liked him.
the ending with Kayden and Michael threw me a bit, and then it was just over! <\spoiler>