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teresab78's review
3.0
2.5 Stars - While there were many sweet moments, Scott acted like an ass. I know there were lies but he was completely unreasonable. To have Devon take all the blame was unfair.
crtsjffrsn's review
3.0
Scott can hardly believe he's landed Devon. Devon's edgy and rugged, sporting long hair and tattoos. Scott, in contrast, is geeky, straight-laced, and clean-cut. He's an accountant, and he lives many of the stereotypes. So when Devon turns into more than just a one-time thing, Scott can't help his surprise. The two fall into a routine. Devon shows up on Saturday nights, and they spend all day Sunday together. Devon's company feels right to Scott, and the time they spend in bed feels even better. But Scott realizes something after several weeks--they never go out. And the one time they did, Devon cut the date short and they headed home. Already insecure about being with Devon, Scott can't help thinking that Devon is hiding something. And the truth is that he is. But it's nothing like what Scott expects.
This novella is a short and engaging read. Although it jumps in after Scott and Devon have started their relationship, there's no problem being right there with them. And the author gets us into Scott's head right away. Early on, we know of his insecurities and we know his reservations. The story is all from Scott's perspective, so we, as readers, know just as much about Devon as the character does. And that makes it even easier to understand where Scott is coming from. (Though I found that I still wanted to shake some sense into him more than once.)
The theme of trust--acting because of insecurities and misunderstandings--is strong here. Forgiveness and admitting to one's mistakes also end up at the center. While none of these themes are particularly surprising in a romance story, the strong writing makes them resonate with the reader. Making something expected feel unexpected is a hallmark of good writing. And you'll find good writing here.
This novella is a short and engaging read. Although it jumps in after Scott and Devon have started their relationship, there's no problem being right there with them. And the author gets us into Scott's head right away. Early on, we know of his insecurities and we know his reservations. The story is all from Scott's perspective, so we, as readers, know just as much about Devon as the character does. And that makes it even easier to understand where Scott is coming from. (Though I found that I still wanted to shake some sense into him more than once.)
The theme of trust--acting because of insecurities and misunderstandings--is strong here. Forgiveness and admitting to one's mistakes also end up at the center. While none of these themes are particularly surprising in a romance story, the strong writing makes them resonate with the reader. Making something expected feel unexpected is a hallmark of good writing. And you'll find good writing here.
aligroen's review
4.0
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Review:
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I read the original shorts a long time ago and know I enjoyed them but didn’t remember much. I was excited to read this one and get a fresh look at this story and I really enjoyed it.
Scott has never had much encouragement or support and love from his family while Devon has a wonderful support system behind him and his own self-confidence. They come from such different backgrounds but have much more in common than one could ever think.
Scott is so terribly shy and unsure, just waiting for his time with Devon to end. I felt his pain and fear but loved how Devon wanted him to see how worthy he was. It took a bit to get to know Devon since the first part of the book was all from Scott’s point of view and Devon was very secretive but once he opened up he held on with both hands. I just wish Scott hadn’t been hurt so much in the process. I liked their relationship once they figured everything out and how they supported each other. There were a few times where things were discussed multiple times or brought up again after a previous discussion and that is really the only problem I had with the story.
The cover art by Karrie Jax is wonderful and I loved the visuals of the characters.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I read the original shorts a long time ago and know I enjoyed them but didn’t remember much. I was excited to read this one and get a fresh look at this story and I really enjoyed it.
Scott has never had much encouragement or support and love from his family while Devon has a wonderful support system behind him and his own self-confidence. They come from such different backgrounds but have much more in common than one could ever think.
Scott is so terribly shy and unsure, just waiting for his time with Devon to end. I felt his pain and fear but loved how Devon wanted him to see how worthy he was. It took a bit to get to know Devon since the first part of the book was all from Scott’s point of view and Devon was very secretive but once he opened up he held on with both hands. I just wish Scott hadn’t been hurt so much in the process. I liked their relationship once they figured everything out and how they supported each other. There were a few times where things were discussed multiple times or brought up again after a previous discussion and that is really the only problem I had with the story.
The cover art by Karrie Jax is wonderful and I loved the visuals of the characters.
jameswho86's review
4.0
Have to say, I didn't have high hopes for this one. And I was pleasantly surprised. Wasn't the best, but I felt for the characters.
jennycazzola's review
3.0
There were a few plotholes in this and sometimes I didn't like Scott, but Overall, it was a very nice read.
whitneydr's review
4.0
This is how to tell a complete story in 80 pages. It’s kind of unfortunate that it’s being advertised as a free read at all romance ebooks.
Though in third person, the book is in Scott’s POV, but you don’t really miss nor need Devon’s POV because you still get a well-rounded story.
Scott and Devon seemed to be as different as night and day. That’s possible considering Scott is a anxiety-stricken accountant with OCD, while Devon is talk dark and mysterious. They’re similar in that they’re both stubborn and have difficulty trusting people. Scott’s insecurities is why he doesn’t trust others, while Devon’s trust issues come from people taking advantage of him (I’m not going to spoil it and tell you why).
Those factors together lead to several misunderstandings, which led to the “big conflict.”
Though I liked Scott as a character, I also wanted to shake him and slap him while saying “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? DON’T THROW THIS AWAY YOU DUMB ASS!”
I don’t really have much more to say about this novella. It may have been short, but it was really well-written and you got a good sense of the characters and empathized with them.
Though in third person, the book is in Scott’s POV, but you don’t really miss nor need Devon’s POV because you still get a well-rounded story.
Scott and Devon seemed to be as different as night and day. That’s possible considering Scott is a anxiety-stricken accountant with OCD, while Devon is talk dark and mysterious. They’re similar in that they’re both stubborn and have difficulty trusting people. Scott’s insecurities is why he doesn’t trust others, while Devon’s trust issues come from people taking advantage of him (I’m not going to spoil it and tell you why).
Those factors together lead to several misunderstandings, which led to the “big conflict.”
Though I liked Scott as a character, I also wanted to shake him and slap him while saying “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? DON’T THROW THIS AWAY YOU DUMB ASS!”
I don’t really have much more to say about this novella. It may have been short, but it was really well-written and you got a good sense of the characters and empathized with them.
karentje's review
3.0
Originally this book consisted of two short stories, but the author re-wrote them into one book and added a lot of content. I never read the short stories, but as far as I can tell the added content serves mostly to make the story longer but not better, per se. Some scenes just felt too drawn out to me (how long can a Valentine’s day date drag on?) and the author also repeats certain points so much that it got on my nerves. I understand that Devon had a really good mother and that they were very close, however, I didn’t need to read it quite that many times. And yes, Scott has very low self-esteem, but Devon was constantly there to give him all the validation he could want, so when he continued putting himself down and doubting their relationship I felt he short-changed Devon with his negative attitude.
The story starts when the relationship has been going on for a couple of months, although they haven’t truly put a label or expectations on it yet. There’s something mysterious about Devon who is obviously hiding something, but Scott is slow to catch on. Once that particular cat is out of the bag, though, everyone they meet seems to know about Devon, so it’s a bit odd that Scott was oblivious for so long.
The best part of the book, for me, was when everything seemed to go to pieces because of the “big reveal”. Those scenes are, thankfully, very intense. Up until that time I didn’t feel very emotionally invested in this couple, maybe because everything was going almost too smoothly...uneventfully.
The scenes that deal with Scott’s anxiety and his panic attacks are well-written and feel very real. There is also a lot of playful banter between Scott and Devon, as well as good times with family and friends, which was fun to read.
As far as their relationship goes very little actually happens. I didn’t understand what they saw in each other. Not that they both weren’t likable characters, because they were, I just didn’t feel the magic between them.
So this was definitely not my cup of tea, but it might just be the perfect book for readers who like their romance easy-going, mellow and sweet. An easy read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
The story starts when the relationship has been going on for a couple of months, although they haven’t truly put a label or expectations on it yet. There’s something mysterious about Devon who is obviously hiding something, but Scott is slow to catch on. Once that particular cat is out of the bag, though, everyone they meet seems to know about Devon, so it’s a bit odd that Scott was oblivious for so long.
The best part of the book, for me, was when everything seemed to go to pieces because of the “big reveal”. Those scenes are, thankfully, very intense. Up until that time I didn’t feel very emotionally invested in this couple, maybe because everything was going almost too smoothly...uneventfully.
The scenes that deal with Scott’s anxiety and his panic attacks are well-written and feel very real. There is also a lot of playful banter between Scott and Devon, as well as good times with family and friends, which was fun to read.
As far as their relationship goes very little actually happens. I didn’t understand what they saw in each other. Not that they both weren’t likable characters, because they were, I just didn’t feel the magic between them.
So this was definitely not my cup of tea, but it might just be the perfect book for readers who like their romance easy-going, mellow and sweet. An easy read for a lazy Sunday afternoon.