Model Student

by Shae Connor

Making his living as a model allows Aaron Stevens to pay his way through film school at NYU. While on a photo shoot, he meets Matt Carson, a journalism student who wants to interview Aaron for his senior project, and they feel an instant connection that catches them both off guard. As their relationship develops over the next week, they open up to each other about their pasts, but attraction won't be enough to keep them together unless they can share their secrets too.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, College, Romance, Gay, M M Contemporary, Short Stories

73 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2010

About the author

Shae Connor lives in Atlanta, where she’s a lackadaisical government worker by day and writes sweet-hot romance under the cover of night. She’s been making things up for as long as she can remember, but it took her a while to figure out that maybe she should try writing them down.

Shae is part Jersey, part Irish, and all Southern, which explains why she never shuts up. When she’s not chained to her laptop, she enjoys cooking, traveling, watching baseball, reading voraciously, giving and receiving hugs, and wearing tiaras. In her copious spare time, she volunteers as director and editor of the Dragon Con on-site publication, the Daily Dragon.

Reviews

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fast short story. I loved the characters and also Shae Connor's writing. Sorry I am not native english speaker so I evaluate also this criteria. I hope someday I can read a long story by this author but there are so many books on Dreamspinner ...

[Ele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insta-lust, insta-love, barely there conflict, HFN. That's about it.

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Model Student was an incredibly sweet, feel-good read, that left me smiling.

Aaron Stevens is 20 years-old, a sophomore at New York University and a catalog model. Matt Carson is also 20 years-old, from Wisconsin and a junior journalism student at Columbia University. The two young men meet at a photo shoot Aaron is doing. Matt has a project for school he's working on, that's on high-profile occupations in New York and he would like to interview Aaron about being a model and gain some insight into the modeling industry.

Matt and Aaron end up going for coffee to discuss the project and eventually make their way from the coffee shop to the park, where each of them divulge a little about themselves and their pasts. Neither of them have had a perfect life, they both have skeletons in their closets, more of which are reveled as the story progresses, but they get along well together, they mesh, and what was suppose to be an interview evolves into a date.

They meet few more times, making one another dinner and growing closer, when Aaron discovers that Matt wasn't exactly upfront with him when they initially met. In fact, he was downright deceptive about a few things and he may have been planning to come clean eventually, but Aaron learns of his duplicity from Jamie, Matt's roommate, which only seems to exacerbate the betrayal. Jamie assumed that Matt had already told Aaron the truth, but unfortunately he hadn't and Aaron is hurt and livid over the deceit. Matt didn't mean Aaron any harm by lying to him, he was simply desperate to get close to him, but that doesn't change the fact that Aaron was hurt by his actions and the two men need to come to terms with what was done and fess up about their feelings for one another if they want a chance at a future together.

This was a delightful story to read; one with young love, forgiveness and a happy ending. I look forward to reading more from this new author.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Aaron Stevens is a NYU student making his living as a model. One day, during a photo shoot, he meets Matt Carson, a journalism student who wants to interview Aaron for his senior project. Instant attraction connects them in short time. But each has a history in the past that they need to overcome before they can continue their relationship

It's a sweet story thought not too sugary -- it doesn't have any complicated issue. The two characters are lovable. I give 3 stars for the story. The 0.5 stars is given for an inventive erotic email and a drugged cat named Bernie :)

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is so strange to realize how hard you have to work sometimes to avoid turning into the person you don't want to be. Aaron and Matt both have fathers who are better off avoided, yet both fear being just like them. The story is sweet and fairly uncomplicated (and Bernie the cat is adorable). There is a betrayal, but it is pretty minimal, and you kind of see it coming beforehand. The two are just sweet together, and you want them to be happy.

[Ivka_s_knihou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet story. :)

[Zane Kage · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Penumbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Model Student is the story of model Aaron Stevens, and journalism student Matt Carson. It’s told in third person through Aaron’s eyes.

2.5 Stars


This book follows a pat formula of instant lust, falling in love in a couple days, conflict at the usual point in the story that was easily overcome, and then the HFN that leans heavily towards HEA. The plot was low-key with the two MCs getting to know each other over two days. The conflict was very low angst and I didn’t think it was that big a deal. I have to honestly say that the story had difficulty keeping my attention, my mind wandered often.

The MC’s are in college, Matt a junior, and Aaron a sophomore. Aaron is a virgin in all ways, and Matt has little experience. I did find it odd that Aaron knew how to get Matt ready since Aaron had no experience. There wasn't even any joking about him watching porn or videos in order to know. Both MC’s voices sounded the same even though the behavior of the two struck me as male and female persons with the type of gestures they did and the words they spoke.

While reading this book, I got the feeling I was being preached at. Not in a religious way, but definitely in a ‘don’t have sex until you find that special someone and fall in love,’ sort of way. If you don’t, you’ll do something stupid and regret it. I don’t like being preached to in a book I’m reading for enjoyment, so that brought the star rating down for me.

I’m having a hard time deciding whether to give Model Student two or three stars. I disliked the preachiness, the character’s voices were the same, and they seemed more like a heterosexual couple than men. The book also didn’t keep my attention well. But at the same time, the writing was smooth and didn’t have many word errors in it. If you’re looking for a very quick no angst read, then this book is probably for you. So because of that, I’ll give Model Student, 3 Stars.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaron is a film student who supports himself by modeling. One day on a shoot he's introduced to Matt who's doing a journalism thesis and wants to use Aaron as an example of a model/student. There's an instant attraction and they start to get to know each other. Things are going well and virgin Aaron finally believes he's found 'the one', when a secret Matt was keeping from him crops up, and sends them both spinning into dealing with crap from their pasts and old negative behaviours. I like stories with young guys and to be honest, these guys seemed young. I don't mean that negatively necessarily but they reminded me of teenagers (both 20), falling in love easily, kind of idealized ideas about love and sex. The problems didn't drag on too long so I wasn't too frustrated with them. It's the first story I've read by the author and I would definitely try more. I liked both guys and the style. Maybe a bit light and fluffy for some but I loved the last sentence. Very cute.

[Ea_reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was an ok little story. the characters were cute and it was basically a meet-cute and then sex. agree with everyone who said the 'fight' stemmed from a complete overreaction, but things were quickly rectified.

[Tame · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-read it again today, and still in love with this book! Young love, college guys, personal troubles/issues that they need to work out---coming of age sort of novel!

[Sally halliday]

Really good

[Heather♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Anke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice enough read, although I found the 'conflict' blown out of proportion.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute little story.

[♥~♥❇ ★~Lyne~★ ❇♥~♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love it

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet, sexy - a great read when you don't have a lot of time.

Definitely makes me want to read something longer by this author.

[Emily Seelye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Despite a slight conflict, this was really sweet.