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Work Out #2
Pump Me Up
Taking advantage of a free pass from work, Maddoc decides to try out a fitness center. After meeting up with a friend, Dan, and making dinner plans, Maddoc meets Ivan, a hunky, silver-haired ex-Marine who gives him a ride home. Soon Maddoc finds himself with a new friend, a workout partner, a protector... and maybe something more, as a simmering attraction comes to life between him and Ivan. After moving too fast in previous relationships that fell apart, Maddoc wants to start slow—wants to make sure it can last. Luckily, Ivan is willing to wait.
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 9, 2010
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232 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 9, 2010
3.5 stars
Maddoc receives a free pass to a gym and decides to check it out. While there he sees Dan, a co-worker, and is introduced to a few of Dan's friends. One of the men he meets is Ivan, a former Marine, and Maddoc is instantly drawn to him. The men slowly form a friendship of sorts as they meet at the gym to work out. Despite his attraction Maddoc isn't really in a frame of mind to be thinking about anything more than friendship since he was hurt by failed relationships in the past and he's also trying to deal with a rather frightening situation. Feeling overwhelmed he's grateful when Ivan offers to show him how to defend himself. As the two men spend more and more time together their feelings deepen and soon they realize they are more than just friends.
As Maddoc struggles to deal with his situation and his need to take things slow it was nice to see Ivan supporting him and not just taking over. Often this kind of plot shows the smaller and supposedly weaker man needing to be rescued by their dominant and stronger partner. In this case while Maddoc is smaller than Ivan, and he admittedly did have periods where he was very frightened, when it came down to it he was able to take care of himself using his wits and the things he learned from Ivan. This balanced their relationship quite nicely.
I really enjoyed the focus of the story being kept on the relationship between Maddoc and Ivan and not letting it get lost in Maddoc's situation. I found both men likable and their slowly evolving feelings and the fact that the physical aspect wasn't rushed into, all combined to make this a sweet and easy read. The supporting characters are also nice and I especially enjoyed Maddoc's witty comebacks when dealing with Lonnie, another friend at the gym.
Pump Me Up is a spinoff of Spot Me but can be read as a standalone. An interesting and at times amusing story of two men meeting, becoming friends and slowly realizing that their feelings have grown to be more than just friendship. I really liked how Maddoc and Ivan fit so well together and brought out the best in each other. Another well written and entertaining story by an author whose books I've enjoyed reading in the past.
Maddoc receives a free pass to a gym and decides to check it out. While there he sees Dan, a co-worker, and is introduced to a few of Dan's friends. One of the men he meets is Ivan, a former Marine, and Maddoc is instantly drawn to him. The men slowly form a friendship of sorts as they meet at the gym to work out. Despite his attraction Maddoc isn't really in a frame of mind to be thinking about anything more than friendship since he was hurt by failed relationships in the past and he's also trying to deal with a rather frightening situation. Feeling overwhelmed he's grateful when Ivan offers to show him how to defend himself. As the two men spend more and more time together their feelings deepen and soon they realize they are more than just friends.
As Maddoc struggles to deal with his situation and his need to take things slow it was nice to see Ivan supporting him and not just taking over. Often this kind of plot shows the smaller and supposedly weaker man needing to be rescued by their dominant and stronger partner. In this case while Maddoc is smaller than Ivan, and he admittedly did have periods where he was very frightened, when it came down to it he was able to take care of himself using his wits and the things he learned from Ivan. This balanced their relationship quite nicely.
I really enjoyed the focus of the story being kept on the relationship between Maddoc and Ivan and not letting it get lost in Maddoc's situation. I found both men likable and their slowly evolving feelings and the fact that the physical aspect wasn't rushed into, all combined to make this a sweet and easy read. The supporting characters are also nice and I especially enjoyed Maddoc's witty comebacks when dealing with Lonnie, another friend at the gym.
Pump Me Up is a spinoff of Spot Me but can be read as a standalone. An interesting and at times amusing story of two men meeting, becoming friends and slowly realizing that their feelings have grown to be more than just friendship. I really liked how Maddoc and Ivan fit so well together and brought out the best in each other. Another well written and entertaining story by an author whose books I've enjoyed reading in the past.
June 29, 2010
I really liked this one! There is a lot more to the story than the description leads you to believe. The first one in the series was mainly getting together and working out. This one has a much deeper story, a lot takes place at the gym, but to people who work out a lot that is their lives so it fits with the characters, but Ivan and Maddoc have more going on than just getting together.
Without giving too much away I liked how Ivan showed Maddoc some self-defense
moves. And Maddoc has some excellent comebacks thru out the books. The ending surprised me. Great job Andrew!!
Without giving too much away I liked how Ivan showed Maddoc some self-defense
moves. And Maddoc has some excellent comebacks thru out the books. The ending surprised me. Great job Andrew!!
July 7, 2010
I loved this sequel to Spot Me. Maddoc and Ivan were real enough to touch and the simmering attraction both feel was wonderful to see.
What fascinated me at least as much as the developing relationship was the mystery aspect of this story. It added an extra layer of tension and allowed Maddoc to learn how to deal with stress and showed Ivan that protecting others didn't end when he left the Marines.
A wonderful addition to a series that I hope will keep going.
What fascinated me at least as much as the developing relationship was the mystery aspect of this story. It added an extra layer of tension and allowed Maddoc to learn how to deal with stress and showed Ivan that protecting others didn't end when he left the Marines.
A wonderful addition to a series that I hope will keep going.
November 5, 2011
This is the second book in the Work Out series by Andrew Grey and features Maddoc and Ivan. We also see a little of Dan and Gene from the first book. This one has a bit of a mystery element to it, as Maddoc has a stalker that he and Ivan spend most of the book trying to discover the identity of.
Maddoc is a sweet guy who decides to try out the local gym when he gets a free pass from his office. He runs into Dan, a co-worker, who invites him to work out with him. Dan also introduces Maddoc to some of his friends, including Ivan, and they all end up at dinner. Due to certain circumstances, Ivan has to give Maddoc a ride home and this is when he learns about Maddoc's stalker. It's at this point that Ivan, ex-Marine with a 10-pak, intervenes to help Maddoc discover the identity of his stalker, and regain his confidence, security and well-being.
Both guys are very likeable. The story is believable. I thought the writing was solid. At right at 100 pages, it can easily be read in one sitting if you have an hour or two of time. The story itself, although interesting and good, didn't blow me away so I would give it a 3.5 but with the other elements to consider, I would give it a solid 4. It's definitely worth the time spent reading it. I'm looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
Maddoc is a sweet guy who decides to try out the local gym when he gets a free pass from his office. He runs into Dan, a co-worker, who invites him to work out with him. Dan also introduces Maddoc to some of his friends, including Ivan, and they all end up at dinner. Due to certain circumstances, Ivan has to give Maddoc a ride home and this is when he learns about Maddoc's stalker. It's at this point that Ivan, ex-Marine with a 10-pak, intervenes to help Maddoc discover the identity of his stalker, and regain his confidence, security and well-being.
Both guys are very likeable. The story is believable. I thought the writing was solid. At right at 100 pages, it can easily be read in one sitting if you have an hour or two of time. The story itself, although interesting and good, didn't blow me away so I would give it a 3.5 but with the other elements to consider, I would give it a solid 4. It's definitely worth the time spent reading it. I'm looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
March 6, 2013
Maddoc is being stalked, he joins the gym in the hopes of maybe getting better at defending himself should the need arise.
He meets hunky ex-marine Ivan and of course they hit it off immediately. The stalker throws in a little excitement and drama. The couples in this series follow a similar pattern, it's a sweet easy enjoyable read.
He meets hunky ex-marine Ivan and of course they hit it off immediately. The stalker throws in a little excitement and drama. The couples in this series follow a similar pattern, it's a sweet easy enjoyable read.
July 20, 2011
i love this one!!! It has more details, more romance and more suspense in this book!! I can't wait to read the next one!! One thing about Andrew Greay is that he's really good at happy endings!!! Can't wait to read all of his books!!
September 13, 2011
It's the type of book you feel better about yourself after reading. That no matter how unsure and self-conscious you are, you still can find a loving and caring person :) It's a really good message for a story :)
April 28, 2024
One of Andrew Grey's sweet romances in which big tough ex Marine Ivan teaches the geeky guy he meets at the gym how to defend himself against a stalker. Maddoc is the geek and a sweet man who has been receiving roses, and then stems, and then petals in an escalating and annoying stalking. The two hit it off and though Maddoc asks for time before they engage in sex, they do finally find their way to the bedroom and Ivan becomes Maddoc's rock. And yes, Maddoc is attacked and defends himself with techniques he learned from Ivan.
Sweet and fairly short, the stalker is caught and the couple makes their forever plans.
Sweet and fairly short, the stalker is caught and the couple makes their forever plans.
September 18, 2025
Yeah, this was pretty bad. Maybe I'm just not into gay erotica, or maybe I'm not into it at the expense of, you know, good writing. This author is way too in love with starting sentences with dependent clauses with a present participle (on one page I counted 21 sentences or sentence fragments, eight of which used that technique: "Looking up," "Packing his bag," "Heading to his car," etc. Ugh.)
May 27, 2018
Maddoc is taking steps to not be afraid and to be with others. He is willing to try the gym and to go to dinner with the others. I like how Ivan doesn't just protect Maddoc but helps him learn how to protect himself. Together they have strength and love.
July 16, 2019
Cute and sweet insta love store worth reading on a rainy day. A solid 3.5.
July 20, 2021
So much grand writing.
December 18, 2012
In this book, Maddoc is being stalked by an unknown admirer. He gets a free gym pass and decides to use it in the hopes of getting fit enough to defend himself. He meets Dan and Lonnie there, from book one, and also meets Ivan, an ex-marine. I read all the books in the series before I reviewed, so this review will be a bit different than it would be had I reviewed it immediately after reading it. The problem with this series is that it became quite formulaic. I would have liked this story more if I hadn't just read book one, but the books were very similar.
1) Age difference
2) One of the MCs, in this case the Maddoc, was incredibly insecure and kept questioning what the other MC saw in him.
3) One of the MCs is afraid to commit because he's been hurt in the past. In this case,
I did think the stalker was at least a decent change up to the plot from the first book, but with so few characters in the book, it wasn't hard to figure out who the stalker was.
1) Age difference
2) One of the MCs, in this case the Maddoc, was incredibly insecure and kept questioning what the other MC saw in him.
3) One of the MCs is afraid to commit because he's been hurt in the past. In this case,
I did think the stalker was at least a decent change up to the plot from the first book, but with so few characters in the book, it wasn't hard to figure out who the stalker was.
November 10, 2010
Book 2 is a little more of the same from the first. The characters are different, but there is still an insecure half and a confident half; one is more than a few years older than the other.
Instead of the insecurities associated with getting older, Maddoc has real cause to be alarmed. The fact that he tries to be proactive by joining the gym is a great thing. The problem I have is that Maddoc is a bit clueless. Some of it is cute. Not all of it.
There are other repetitive lines that I recognized from the 1st story. Lonnie is still the “lovable” jerk, but I found him even more insulting this go round. It’s one thing is a buddies home or private party, but Lonnie is shouting stuff across the entire gym. At some point, if it were real, then someone would put a stop to it. Probably in something negative towards the couple instead of the loudmouth doing the talking.
Reading them back to back may not have been the best idea. Too similar. It is still enjoyable, a quick and easy read. I would recommend spacing them out.
Instead of the insecurities associated with getting older, Maddoc has real cause to be alarmed. The fact that he tries to be proactive by joining the gym is a great thing. The problem I have is that Maddoc is a bit clueless. Some of it is cute. Not all of it.
There are other repetitive lines that I recognized from the 1st story. Lonnie is still the “lovable” jerk, but I found him even more insulting this go round. It’s one thing is a buddies home or private party, but Lonnie is shouting stuff across the entire gym. At some point, if it were real, then someone would put a stop to it. Probably in something negative towards the couple instead of the loudmouth doing the talking.
Reading them back to back may not have been the best idea. Too similar. It is still enjoyable, a quick and easy read. I would recommend spacing them out.
June 30, 2010
Maddoc decides to check out the gym with a trial membership. Seems he's got a stalker and he'd like to feel more confident. His coworker Dan goes to the gym and invites him to join them for a workout. Later he'd invited to dinner by Dan's friend and Ivan comes along. Ivan is a former Marine who is hot. When Maddoc's car dies Ivan gives him a ride home and he explains about the stalker and Ivan offers to teach him some self-defence. Things go well for them although Maddoc wants to go slow until a show-down with the stalker. It was an okay story and to be honest I didn't know who the stalker was but a few possibilities were thrown out that had me guessing and Ivan were both older (30's? 40's). This is a follow-up to Dan and Gene's story Spot Me.
April 23, 2013
What a horrible fucking book... I hated almost everything about it. The dialogue was ridiculous. I rolled my eyes so much. I enjoyed Andrew's "By Fire" series, but this book was utter shit.
Maddoc - Ugh, such a whimp. He was so timid and insecure. He reminded me of a damn child. He seriously had the masculinity of a ten year old boy. That is not attractive! I even hated his description. Red curls? Small, tight ass? Pale skin? Ugh. He made me sick.
Ivan - He was cool, I guess. The fact that he kept calling Maddoc "Tiger" made me want to throttle him, tho.
Maddoc - Ugh, such a whimp. He was so timid and insecure. He reminded me of a damn child. He seriously had the masculinity of a ten year old boy. That is not attractive! I even hated his description. Red curls? Small, tight ass? Pale skin? Ugh. He made me sick.
Ivan - He was cool, I guess. The fact that he kept calling Maddoc "Tiger" made me want to throttle him, tho.
September 30, 2012
I enjoyed the suspense involved with this story, the slow build of the relationship between Ivan and Maddoc, and the fact that both guys were a little bit older. The suspense is derived from a creepy stalker type that’s harassing Maddoc and making him feel vulnerable. Ivan helps Maddoc feel safe, but also helps him come out of his shell and build up his confidence. This was a short story, but full of content that left me feeling satisfied:)
May 12, 2016
It is the first story I read by Andrew Grey and I like it because his characters are very real with problems that are very common these days. I like how other characters, who are not the important ones here, are supporting Maddoc and Ivan in their relationship and don’t judge them because they happen to be gay.
A beautiful story I would recommend to all people who respect other people, no matter their gender, religion, race, or sexual orientation.
A beautiful story I would recommend to all people who respect other people, no matter their gender, religion, race, or sexual orientation.
December 26, 2010
Another fun read with super sexy men! Maddoc has a stocker and luckly, just one day at the gym ... now he has a protector. Ivan and Maddoc hit it off right away and Ivan wants to do anything he can to protect Maddoc. This book has a little mystery that will keep you guessing and have you feeling all warm and fuzzy for Maddoc and Ivan. I recommend this book. Happy Reading.
June 8, 2015
Book 2 of this series gives us Maddoc who is being stalked and Ivan who he meets at the gym and who helps him learn to defend himself.....Ivan and Maddoc were great together and I was totally wrong on who the stalker was....sign of a good book....These are short reads but just long enough to get in a decent read..onto book 3 now x
January 2, 2016
This is a fun series of novellas. Filled with different and unique personalities and stories.
The books can be read as stand-alone but they all take place around the same gym and other characters (mostly Dan and Lonnie from the first book) show up in the other stories but are not integral to the story line.
The books can be read as stand-alone but they all take place around the same gym and other characters (mostly Dan and Lonnie from the first book) show up in the other stories but are not integral to the story line.
March 31, 2017
I do like Mr. Grey's work but this wasn't quite up to some of his others. Most of the characters are supposed to be in their 40's but the dialogue makes them seem much, much younger. Their reactions to events and even the interactions with each other just don't seem like those of mature men. I'll read other books by Mr. Grey but they often seem kind of hit or miss for me.
August 2, 2016
2014 Re-read:
This one's certainly not pedestrian and I found Maddoc's timidity endearing as hell. For some reason I love this kind of story, the one where a frightened, cowed person is taken under the wing of someone who truly appreciates them.
Sweet book.
This one's certainly not pedestrian and I found Maddoc's timidity endearing as hell. For some reason I love this kind of story, the one where a frightened, cowed person is taken under the wing of someone who truly appreciates them.
Sweet book.
June 16, 2010
3,5 stars
April 5, 2011
Sigh. I loved this story. Sweet, sexy, with a little bit of mystery... if you want the focus on relationship building and getting to know the characters, this is an excellent choice.
March 18, 2012
Great bit of fluff :)
This is a light hearted cute story with a bit of beefcake.
This is a light hearted cute story with a bit of beefcake.
May 31, 2013
i am true sucker for two point of view books, the way he gives us both points of views
January 14, 2014
3.5 stars
January 4, 2016
3.5 stars
July 24, 2016
81% and I didn't care enough to finish. nothing specific. ..just bored.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews