Blast from the Past

Friends to Lovers #2

by Stephani Hecht

Laid off from his dream job and broke, Bailey Hall goes back home with his tail between his legs and a severely bruised ego. It doesn't help matters that the only work he can find is at his older sister's day care. Now, instead of spending the day teaching high school students Shakespeare and Keats, he's wiping snotty noses and tripping on building blocks. Then one rainy afternoon, his humiliation reaches a whole new low when David Walker comes in to pick up his baby nephew. Not only was David the most popular guy in high school, but Bailey harbored a secret crush on the guy. Bailey is both horrified and excited to see that, eight years later, David is just as hot as ever. He's also very successful and wealthy, neither of which Bailey is.


David spent the past years fulfilling his dream of becoming a successful lawyer and he finally has almost everything he's ever wanted within his grasp. Then he goes into the daycare center and spots the one thing his libido has never been able to resist--Bailey. All through his senior year of high school, David lusted after the shy, dark-haired, freshman scholar. He'd been too afraid to act on his feelings at the time. Not only was Bailey too young for a relationship, but the teen had also been struggling with his sexuality. Although it was the hardest thing he'd ever done, David forced himself not to act on his feelings and kept his hands off Bailey. Now that they are both adults and he has Bailey in his sights again, David vows to finally give into his desires. But will Bailey welcome his attraction or will David have to live with nothing but his regrets to keep him company at night?

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Erotica, Ebooks, Gay

92 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2010

About the author

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Go Wings! You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book or gorging on caffeine at her favorite coffee shop.

When she’s not running around like crazy, trying to get her kids to their various activities, she’s currently working on numerous projects. In the coming months, she has several books coming out with eXtasy Books in both The Lost Shifter Series and Drone Vampire Chronicles, plus a few additional projects that are still in the development stages.

Visit Stephani on the web at:
Email her at:
archangelwriter@yahoo.com

Reviews

[ElaineY · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, I guess. Not four as it wasn't long enough to develop the relationship and put more meat in the story. BFtP is a quick, angst-free read and just what I needed during my "commercial break" in Special Forces.

I was expecting a little more angst between Bailey and David but instead, their hooking up, some ten years after high school, is relatively smooth. 'Relative' because while there are some fears on Bailey's part that his attraction is not mutual, this gets washed away on their very first date. I expected there to be a couple more dates before they started baring their underbellies but everything was wrapped up in that single date and that's the end. I got an epilogue giving a sweet HEA and I was satisfied with that.

If I were to rate BFtP with other light M/M romances, such as Shawn Lane's, BFtP would be a 4-star so if you're looking for something easy and feel-good, you should enjoy Ms Hecht's latest.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty-four years old Bailey Hall is forced to work in a day care where his sister is the director, after being laid off from his job as a teacher. However, his luck turns for the better when he meets up again with his high-school crush, David Walker. Why? Because it seems that David takes an interest in him too.

It's a sweet, sweet story about high school crush. It's uncomplicated and conflict free. I love the fact that Ms. Hecht adds some flashback scenes when the guys were still in high school -- also how the story takes turn from Bailey and David's point of view, so we know what one is thinking about the other. It's a short novella, but very sweet, with loveable characters.

Now, I secretly hope that we will see more characters from this story, Derek's friends, I mean (since they're all gays). Most especially Marc and Hayden, please? Because I swear, they must be more than just friends ... and I always look forward to reading stories about falling in love with your best friend ;)

[Serena Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, fun read about two men who secretly adored each other back in high school. Reunited nine years later, they finally give in to their attraction. While the plot is simple, the characters of shy scholarly Bailey and hotshot lawyer David really made it come alive and left me smiling.

[Ter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. High school crushes finding each other years later and falling in love. We get to see some of what they were like back in school when each are thinking back to then. The flash backs (or thoughts) aren't a lot and done in a really good way, that you aren't wondering if you are in the now or past etc.
If you are looking for a nice lite romance read with a HEA this one is for you.
Great job Stephani!!

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for the stories about the groups of gay friends, so I'm thoroughly enjoying this series )) The second one too is more Cinderella-type, which I don't mind at all and I also liked how well-placed flashbecks from their school days were.
Good book!

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bailey was just recently laid off from his job as a high school english teacher because of budget cuts, so he's working for his sister her day care. Things are just not going his way. Then David, his high school crush come in to pick up his nephew from day care and they bump into each other after 9 years. This might just be their second chance.

The sentiment of this story was sweet, but the writing seemed juvenile. Everything was a little doe-eyed for my taste. David and Bailey are each nursing 9 year old crushes on each other yet they meet and neither does anything about it. It takes a second meeting and then it's jump right the the happily ever after. Along the way you find out some people may have be conspiring to help them and that some people care more than they let on. It was almost sickeningly sweet.

The formatting of this book was awful. There were a lot of word italicized for seemingly no reason, but also there were a lot of words half italicized... it was weird.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm, this wasn't fantastic or the next great novel, but it was sweet and fun. If you go into it with the right mindset, you should enjoy. Nothing angsty at all. Its probably waffling between a 3 and a 4 for me, but since I can't think of anything I hated, I'll give it a 4.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good m/m romance about a teacher who was laid off and is now working at a daycare center, where he runs into the guy he had a huge crush on in high school.

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 4 out of 5]

just cute and happy the way i like them

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pining for the unattainable stud
A quick, sweet hihgh school crush to adult lovers m/m romance with Hugh scroll flash backs,
When the senior jock secretly wants the freshmen bookworm but can’t ha e him.

[Jucko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my! It was a really cute and entertaining story but too short and everything happened a bit too quick and smooth.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teacher Bailey got laid off and is forced to work in his sister’s daycare to make ends meet. One day he runs into his old high school crush David who’s picking up his nephew. David is a rich lawyer and was a senior when Bailey was a freshman. They have a small conversation and Bailey feels as much like a loser as ever around David. Thanks to the machinations of their mothers, they meet up again and they finally admit their attraction back in the day and David explains to a hurt Bailey why he never made a move back then. There are some flashbacks as Bailey and David remember certain incidents from their high school days which shows two perspectives to the same incident which is interesting. It only takes place over a 12 hour or so period with an epilogue but it’s a cute little story about finally getting the man of your high school dreams.

[Janean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of of my July Category Challenge. I am a fan of sweet romance especially when friends turn into lovers. David and Bailey make a cute couple - David all strong and self assured and Bailey all shy and insecure. Put them together and the temperature rises and Bailey loses all his shyness and things get very steamy. I loved how the mom's (even though they never make an appearance) unknowingly jump started the renewal of this romance that got stalled in high school! Cute short read.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on 12-18-13

This was sweet. Although, I thought the flashbacks were a bit much. Not necessarily too many of them, just too much info in them.

I really liked David and Bailey though :) I also liked how their moms hooked them up! HA! Also, why would Brock warn David off if Bailey and Brock didn't get along? Even now, Bailey said he and Brock were on the outs. Weird.

I did like how David was still friends with his HS buddies!

[Phaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs two-and-a-half stars. Better than some others I've read by this author but still shy of making me unreservedly like it. I'll go with three this time.

It's fluff. Not too awful fluff at that, if you only want something light and quick to snack on during an hour or two and if you can ignore the abysmal copy-editing. (That last bit goes for all of this author's books, anyway.)

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know what I'm getting when I pick up one of these books so while it might not compare with my other 3 star reads, it doesn't seem fair to lower a rating when I'm reading it for the fluff factor. And that's exactly what it was. "I've always had a big crush on you and I'll love you forever", you know, entertaining stuffs!

[Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars---good story about 2 guys who meet after high school several years ago, and while they weren't exactly friends in HS due to the slight age difference, they sure made up for it when they meet again in a day care years later

[Natalija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, definitely worth the read, although, IMHO, there were too many flashbacks for such a short story. This is my second book by Ms. Hecht, and I am not disappointed. I'll definitely be checking out her other books.

[andrea moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends to lovers 2

This was another really cute little book, the two MCs knew each other at school briefly but due to an age difference were never together, add a few years and some interfering mothers and sparks fly as they reunite

[Cherie Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read...like every Stephani Hecht I've ever read, a damn good read, worth every cent I spent on it and then some.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story, but I found in kind of cheesy in parts. Plus, there were some errors that made it distracting.

[Kaseka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute premise. The story had some cliche, and the flashback transitions were clunky, but overall this was a good read.

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wish her books were longer!

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed these two finding each other. And the conspiracy between the mothers was great!

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read but almost too short.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, but too short.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet.

[Nik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical Hecht book. Predictable and warp speed but, a sweet bit of fluff.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short ,ultra sweet and light and fluffy! Just what I wanted today!