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What Can Be
Thirteen years ago, Eli went on a summer trip with his mother and never came back. Now, existing in a new life as Jacob Somerville, he’s again running from fear and memories, only to end up where he started. As Jacob struggles to reconnect with his father and brothers, he realizes that his lover, Craig Zhao, was the only thing filling his empty heart and standing between him and ghosts of the past. It will take the power of love—from his family, from Craig, and from himself—for Jacob to see that his life truly is filled with the promise of what can be.
A novella from the Dreamspinner Press 2011 Advent Calendar package "I'll Be Home for Christmas"
A novella from the Dreamspinner Press 2011 Advent Calendar package "I'll Be Home for Christmas"
124 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2011
50 people are currently reading
493 people want to read
About the author
Mary Calmes
125 books5,015 followersMary Calmes believes in romance, happily ever afters, and the faith it takes for her characters to get there. She bleeds coffee, thinks chocolate should be its own food group, and currently lives in Kentucky with a six-pound furry ninja that protects her from baby birds, spiders and the neighbor’s dogs. To stay up to date on her ponderings and pandemonium (as well as the adventures of the ninja) follow her on Twitter @MaryCalmes, connect with her on Facebook, and subscribe to her Mary’s Mob newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
February 2, 2016
No one can Mary Calmes like Mary Calmes Mary Calmeses. Many have tried to out-Mary Calmes Mary Calmes, many have tried to imitate Mary Calmes, but only Mary Calmes can top Mary Calmes.
And that's Mary Calmes.
Miss Mary was in full Mary-mode with What Can Be. From the minute I pressed play on the audiobook, I was in the Land o'Mary and it made me roll my eyes and grin in sheer joy. I feel I should warn you to not listen to or read Mary in public -- you may freak people out with your out-of-character giggling. (Unless you're one of those odd happy people --then be free my friends, go forth and giggle.)
What is this book about, you say? DOES IT MATTER?! No, it does not. In case you weren't paying attention this is Mary FREAKIN' Calmes. So there's a good looking dude who everyone says how beautiful he is but he insists he's plain and everyone wants to be around him and touch him constantly and chances are he has warm golden skin and I wouldn't say he has low self-esteem, but he does not seem to understand JUST HOW MUCH EVERYONE FREAKING LOVES HIM. And then there's another dude, and he is hot, and a bossy alpha and everyone loves him or is intimidated by him and wants to sleep with him but he ONLY wants the good looking dude. FOREVER. And he growls things like, "I want you to get in my bed." Grrrrowl! And there's at least one pregnant chick, and the good looking dude will dance at some point and be really good at it, and he'll say "yessir" and call out "screw you!" with laughing eyes. And hugs will all start with a lunge and and faces will be touched and eyes will squint and voices will break and EYEBROWS WILL WAGGLE and clothes will be described in serious detail and people will do so much coughing you'll wonder why they don't just get a cough drop. And yeah, cough drops are weirdly expensive for something that's mostly sugar but these people don't have to worry, THEY'RE ALL RICH.
*happy sigh* It's pretty awesome.
As for the audio narrator, Robert Neiman, he's pretty good. And by "pretty good" I mean that his voice doesn't bug me but he's not so very good that I get distracted by just how good he is. The only problem I had with him is that there isn't a lot of difference between character voices. In another book I might've had trouble telling who was actually talking, but I didn't have that problem here. That could be because I've read the book (once, about 2 years ago) or because it's in first person.
So if you're looking for a Mary Calmes audio, you can't get much better than this Mary Calmes.
Mary Calmes.
*ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
January 31, 2015
BMB Reviews - February Author of the Month
Mary Calmes Jizzmas Sugar to be exact?
3.5 stars - O.M.G. I thought this day would never come. Mary Calmes is our AOTM for February!
*flutters her wings like Tinkerbell*
I get like this when I see a new Mary Calmes book:
Happy with precious, don't want to part kinda feels.
I am currently riding a MC sugar filled rush, so I'll just blurt out my feels on this story which was good but not a MC slammer. Because Jizzmas. It wasn't super saturated with Santa cum but man...was it present.
Overall, it's a Calmes - I know what I'm going to get. And I got it: a possessive top, a sweet, bottom that everyone loves, adores, cherishes and wants to put in their pockets forever (and ever) and "mine" and domestic inner goddess and kisses and a modern day fairy tale-esque feel.
Jake is a runner. He was born to a runner. And he repeats the pattern by running. He's 28 now and he left his boyfriend and life because...well I'm not exactly sure why...but he ran back to his hometown and was seen by his long lost brother in a gas station. Jake ran away from home with his mother when he was fifteen. He hid from his family and kept a dark secret. Jake's all 'I have this big secret - don't talk to me or look too hard 'cause I'm running, bitch' type of attitude. So everyone kind of coddled him.
In the beginning of this prodigal son tale, I was a little meh. Because not only is Jake/Eli super loved by everyone, he kept being compared to his mother, a lot. Like he looked like this glorious and beautiful dead woman all the time.
All. The. Time. It was weird.
Then we get crumbs to this mystery of 13 years that Jake (real name Eli) has kept hidden. Then the story got a little dark. Not too much but enough for me to pay attention. Might've also been because they finally stopped comparing Jake/Eli to his mother.
Anyway, Jake's boyfriend the super rich, sorta alpha business owner Craig Zhao isn't here to listen to that crap. He wants his man home with him. Craig's all 'kill the noise Jake. You know your kisses are potent. Gimme your sweet behind.'
And that's when I got happy.
Because it just worked. The little bit of time Jake /Eli and Craig spent together, their attraction and passion was yummy. Jake's reasons might be silly and fluffed to gills but at the end of the day, he just needed his man to reassure him and show him that he's his and quit the shit.
So it read like a fluffed out Christmas after school special but it's a Mary Calmes one. I went in knowing what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. Some parts corny, more parts sweet and full of love and cooking hints.
Not my favorite (it's earlier Calmes) but a solid novella is solid.
Mary Calmes Jizzmas Sugar to be exact?
3.5 stars - O.M.G. I thought this day would never come. Mary Calmes is our AOTM for February!
*flutters her wings like Tinkerbell*
I get like this when I see a new Mary Calmes book:
Happy with precious, don't want to part kinda feels.
I am currently riding a MC sugar filled rush, so I'll just blurt out my feels on this story which was good but not a MC slammer. Because Jizzmas. It wasn't super saturated with Santa cum but man...was it present.
Overall, it's a Calmes - I know what I'm going to get. And I got it: a possessive top, a sweet, bottom that everyone loves, adores, cherishes and wants to put in their pockets forever (and ever) and "mine" and domestic inner goddess and kisses and a modern day fairy tale-esque feel.
Jake is a runner. He was born to a runner. And he repeats the pattern by running. He's 28 now and he left his boyfriend and life because...well I'm not exactly sure why...but he ran back to his hometown and was seen by his long lost brother in a gas station. Jake ran away from home with his mother when he was fifteen. He hid from his family and kept a dark secret. Jake's all 'I have this big secret - don't talk to me or look too hard 'cause I'm running, bitch' type of attitude. So everyone kind of coddled him.
In the beginning of this prodigal son tale, I was a little meh. Because not only is Jake/Eli super loved by everyone, he kept being compared to his mother, a lot. Like he looked like this glorious and beautiful dead woman all the time.
All. The. Time. It was weird.
Then we get crumbs to this mystery of 13 years that Jake (real name Eli) has kept hidden. Then the story got a little dark. Not too much but enough for me to pay attention. Might've also been because they finally stopped comparing Jake/Eli to his mother.
Anyway, Jake's boyfriend the super rich, sorta alpha business owner Craig Zhao isn't here to listen to that crap. He wants his man home with him. Craig's all 'kill the noise Jake. You know your kisses are potent. Gimme your sweet behind.'
And that's when I got happy.
Because it just worked. The little bit of time Jake /Eli and Craig spent together, their attraction and passion was yummy. Jake's reasons might be silly and fluffed to gills but at the end of the day, he just needed his man to reassure him and show him that he's his and quit the shit.
So it read like a fluffed out Christmas after school special but it's a Mary Calmes one. I went in knowing what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. Some parts corny, more parts sweet and full of love and cooking hints.
Not my favorite (it's earlier Calmes) but a solid novella is solid.
May 3, 2013
3.5 stars
Well, well...a surprising twist from our Queen O' Fluff, Ms. Calmes. "What Can Be" is a bit darker than anything I've read from QoF before. And I quite enjoyed it.
It's about Eli-Jory...a 28 year old young man with secrets...a past life kept secret from his current and a current life kept secret from his past. The details of those secrets aren't revealed until the end, but the build up was quite suspenseful and I was entertained purely by the relationships in the story...both of the MC couple and the family dynamic.
The book felt a bit rushed and I wished it had taken it's time to unfold. An extra 20 pages would've helped fill in some of the holes as well.
But, I really enjoyed it. It's nice to see Jory play a more pained, layered role in this Eli character.
Quick, easy, recommended read...
May 25, 2017
Yep. It was every bit as good as the first time I read it. Bumping it up a star.
*****************************************
I've had my latest dose of Calmes sugar-crack!
And it was goooood.
I just wanna dance and twirl and bask in the awesomeness that is Mary Calmes.
What? I don't have a problem. I can stop any time, I swear!
Oh! I almost forgot! Mary Calmes is our February Author of the Month over at the blog! SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!
November 29, 2014
This ain't your typical Christmas story. In fact, I think it may have broken my brain. I need a minute to process my likes/dislikes before rating.
24 hours after reading...
Did I love it? Or, did I hate it? I still don't know! Seriously. You can't see me right now, but I have the most bewildered expression on my face.
The writing in this one felt kinda... sparse? But sometimes - especially nearer the beginning of the story as Calmes was establishing her characters and laying the trail of WTF? breadcrumbs for me - I reacted really positively to this method of storytelling. It felt refreshing. I was intrigued by the story (so many secrets, so much baggage!) AND by the way that she was telling it. Then, not too many pages later, the same bare bones technique was driving me bonkers and leaving me feeling cheated because I wasn't getting the level of detail that I wanted in some scenes.
The dialogue was just as sparse. I often felt as if there were words or sentences that were left unsaid. On one hand, I was totally digging it because it felt like I was reading something that had finally captured that short hand that real people and real families use with one another. On the other hand, it was frickin' disorienting.
And characters actions and reactions seemed to change almost by the paragraph. Just when I thought I had a character's personality pegged, the next sentence out of their mouths or gesture of their bodies would be the complete opposite of what I was anticipating. Again, I found it disorienting. (Just as an example, Craig's first phone call to Eli? I was convinced that the dude was a controlling, self-important asshat and that Eli was better off running in the opposite direction as far and as fast as he could. Then Craig would do or say something that had me shifting towards rooting for him. And then he'd do or say something that would have me shifting away from him again.) I felt like I was getting emotional whiplash.
(See what I mean about this story breaking my brain?!)
It also probably didn't help that I felt like there were too many interactions between some characters and not enough between others, questions that went unanswered, and reactions I wish had been explored in greater depth. Not to mention the fact that I was really missing an epilogue to wrap things up with a big Christmas bow for me.
Ultimately, I think this story was great, but too layered and nuanced for a novella format. I've given it 4 stars, but only because my OCD wouldn't allow me to leave it rating-less and I don't know what else to do.
24 hours after reading...
Did I love it? Or, did I hate it? I still don't know! Seriously. You can't see me right now, but I have the most bewildered expression on my face.
The writing in this one felt kinda... sparse? But sometimes - especially nearer the beginning of the story as Calmes was establishing her characters and laying the trail of WTF? breadcrumbs for me - I reacted really positively to this method of storytelling. It felt refreshing. I was intrigued by the story (so many secrets, so much baggage!) AND by the way that she was telling it. Then, not too many pages later, the same bare bones technique was driving me bonkers and leaving me feeling cheated because I wasn't getting the level of detail that I wanted in some scenes.
The dialogue was just as sparse. I often felt as if there were words or sentences that were left unsaid. On one hand, I was totally digging it because it felt like I was reading something that had finally captured that short hand that real people and real families use with one another. On the other hand, it was frickin' disorienting.
And characters actions and reactions seemed to change almost by the paragraph. Just when I thought I had a character's personality pegged, the next sentence out of their mouths or gesture of their bodies would be the complete opposite of what I was anticipating. Again, I found it disorienting. (Just as an example, Craig's first phone call to Eli? I was convinced that the dude was a controlling, self-important asshat and that Eli was better off running in the opposite direction as far and as fast as he could. Then Craig would do or say something that had me shifting towards rooting for him. And then he'd do or say something that would have me shifting away from him again.) I felt like I was getting emotional whiplash.
(See what I mean about this story breaking my brain?!)
It also probably didn't help that I felt like there were too many interactions between some characters and not enough between others, questions that went unanswered, and reactions I wish had been explored in greater depth. Not to mention the fact that I was really missing an epilogue to wrap things up with a big Christmas bow for me.
Ultimately, I think this story was great, but too layered and nuanced for a novella format. I've given it 4 stars, but only because my OCD wouldn't allow me to leave it rating-less and I don't know what else to do.
December 4, 2011
A nice surprise and not what I was expecting, this had it all drama, tears, courage and love and I loved every little bit. I adored Craig he is my hero the lovable sneak such a smarty who wouldn't give up on his skittish Jake/Eli who runs when he feels overwhelmed and can't cope. What he doesn't realize is it's too late Craig is not stupid he knows everything about Jake and what makes him tick the tactics he uses to find him are clever and I was cheering him on throughout his talks with Jake which were sweet and sad these two are a delight. Jake's reunion with his family is intense and tearful lots of drama and the believability factor is a bit iffy but I still thoroughly enjoyed this lovely poignant romance!
December 7, 2011
very annoying how every character says how much he looks like his dead mother. like in details. the reader gets it, he is physically perfect and everyone loves him. whole book everyone keeps saying how much he looks like his mom, even characters that already said it repeat it. WHY???
although nothing really happened and i didn't like the MC he was 28 but acted like he was 13. Apparently growing up with a drug addict made him perfect. perfect appearance, perfect manners, perfectly flawed, perfectly endearing, perfectly forgivable, perfect everything! This is still much better than the previous DSP Calender releases.
also not a Christmas story unless you count they made plans to get together for Christmas which happens a few weeks after the book ends
although nothing really happened and i didn't like the MC he was 28 but acted like he was 13. Apparently growing up with a drug addict made him perfect. perfect appearance, perfect manners, perfectly flawed, perfectly endearing, perfectly forgivable, perfect everything! This is still much better than the previous DSP Calender releases.
also not a Christmas story unless you count they made plans to get together for Christmas which happens a few weeks after the book ends
December 2, 2011
This one made me cry. It was a lovely story of coming home, of facing your demons, and of realizing that the person you love the most is the person who gives you the courage to do just that. Mary Calmes sets her stories in the land of the lovely and the rich and powerful, but that doesn't make her people any less human for all of that. I loved Jake/Eli, and I loved Craig--their dialog was sweet and affectionate, and made all of Jake's healing apparent and possible. Melodramatic? Yes--but I'm a fan of melodrama. A sweet Christmas present? It was all that and more.
December 18, 2011
Eli left California thirteen years ago with his mother for a summer vacation before school started back. His mother needed a break from the pressures of being a successful man's wife and mother, and Eli needed to be away from a crush gone wrong, and to watch out for his mother. They never came back.
Until now.
Present day, Eli, driving through his home town after hightailing it away from his lover, Craig Zhou, is spotted by his younger brother as he stops for gas. "Funny the people you forgot till you remembered". And remembered he is - he is the image of their mother. He is there, after all, to tell the truth, so he follows his brother home to be reunited with his father and other brother. Who are equally as stunned, as joyful and as blown away to see him again after all this time.
All sorts of memories, good and bad, surge to the surface for Eli. Or, as he is known now, Jake. And when he finally, finally explains the story of what happened all those years ago to his family, will Eli be able to find peace of his own? And will he be able to forgive himself and stop running?
This story is just flat out amazing. Mary Calmes created, in such limited time and space, a beautifully realized, scared, troubled, hopeful and tragic young man. His past constantly at his heels, he has been on the run, from himself, from others, from his family and from tragedy for years, and thankfully, it is time for it to end.
This story is about how family can both hurt and redeem you, how love can damage and heal you, and how running from the past can bring you directly to your future. And Ms. Calmes gets this just right - the characters, the pacing, the quiet pain and desperation and loyalty that is Eli and the calm steady love that is Craig.
"When love trumped passion, you knew you were with the right guy".
And when talent rules, you know you have the right author.
Stunning. Really.
Tom
Until now.
Present day, Eli, driving through his home town after hightailing it away from his lover, Craig Zhou, is spotted by his younger brother as he stops for gas. "Funny the people you forgot till you remembered". And remembered he is - he is the image of their mother. He is there, after all, to tell the truth, so he follows his brother home to be reunited with his father and other brother. Who are equally as stunned, as joyful and as blown away to see him again after all this time.
All sorts of memories, good and bad, surge to the surface for Eli. Or, as he is known now, Jake. And when he finally, finally explains the story of what happened all those years ago to his family, will Eli be able to find peace of his own? And will he be able to forgive himself and stop running?
This story is just flat out amazing. Mary Calmes created, in such limited time and space, a beautifully realized, scared, troubled, hopeful and tragic young man. His past constantly at his heels, he has been on the run, from himself, from others, from his family and from tragedy for years, and thankfully, it is time for it to end.
This story is about how family can both hurt and redeem you, how love can damage and heal you, and how running from the past can bring you directly to your future. And Ms. Calmes gets this just right - the characters, the pacing, the quiet pain and desperation and loyalty that is Eli and the calm steady love that is Craig.
"When love trumped passion, you knew you were with the right guy".
And when talent rules, you know you have the right author.
Stunning. Really.
Tom
December 3, 2011
3.5 stars
What I do like ... the idea of love and devotion between Craig and Eli, it's simply awesome, my favorite scene will be when Craig is handling Eli . I also like Eli's brothers. The 'secret' that keeps Eli away from his family for 13 years is dark and heartbreaking. What I don't like, the way Eli refuses to talk about his past is a tad too long after several chapters. Plus, I have to admit that the story is a bit melodramatic, in addition to over-the-top PDA and terms of endearment. Then again, it's a typical Mary Calmes's writing ...
What I do like ... the idea of love and devotion between Craig and Eli, it's simply awesome, my favorite scene will be when Craig is handling Eli . I also like Eli's brothers. The 'secret' that keeps Eli away from his family for 13 years is dark and heartbreaking. What I don't like, the way Eli refuses to talk about his past is a tad too long after several chapters. Plus, I have to admit that the story is a bit melodramatic, in addition to over-the-top PDA and terms of endearment. Then again, it's a typical Mary Calmes's writing ...
December 13, 2011
A lovely story that will bring you to tears but with a perfect ending. Poor Eli is a beautiful character, his lover Craig is a real knight in shining armour, I loved them both. Eli's story is heartbreaking but a must read. For a short story this packs a lot in without feeling rushed or feeling like parts are missing. Brilliantly told I had to read in one sitting as I couldn't wait to see all the hows and whys of Eli's disapearence.
July 3, 2012
What Can Be a.k.a. Jory/Jin/Julian/Stefan/Noah runs away from home.
January 26, 2015
Maybe 3.5?
As ever with Mary Calmes (for me) it's part YES! and part eye-roll.
Book chat soon, with the unicorns.
As ever with Mary Calmes (for me) it's part YES! and part eye-roll.
Book chat soon, with the unicorns.
December 7, 2011
This story blew me away. I wasn’t really sure what was going on for a while, but had a feeling the mystery about to unravel was going to be devastating, interesting, or both. It ended up being utterly emotional on top. Not only was I totally invested in the main character who tells the story in first person, I was also fascinated by the psychology of what was going on, the slow reveal of the reasons behind his behavior and the final revelations and solution had me tearing up. A truly amazing story, firmly settled in real-life psychology with love playing the central part in solving the issues.
Jake/Eli is clearly a troubled soul. He has a past, and as he meets the family he has been separated from, we learn more about him and what happened in small steps. It kept up the tension for me, and the love and acceptance Jake/Eli finds from his two elder brothers, his father and even his father’s new wife was touching. Whether it was the Christmas spirit that was upon them or whether they were just nice people, the situation, as grim as it was, became a lot more bearable through their support. And not just for Jake/Eli!
Craig, the boyfriend Jake/Eli ran away from, is an absolutely amazing guy. He doesn’t seem so at first, because we see him through Jake/Eli’s eyes and he isn’t too sure what to think or how to deal with everything. As Jake/Eli realizes what is going on and how he really feels, my impression of Craig improved. That and the fact that Craig’s actions speak a lot louder than words ever could.
On the whole, this is one amazing book. If you like psychological insights, deep emotional drama and families finding each other again, you will probably like this story as much as I did. And while the story is set at Christmas time, and there is lots of Christmas spirit (if that is what you want to call it), this is a positive, uplifting story that is good to read at any time of the year. Just be ready for quite an emotional roller coaster ride before you get to the very rewarding ending.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Jake/Eli is clearly a troubled soul. He has a past, and as he meets the family he has been separated from, we learn more about him and what happened in small steps. It kept up the tension for me, and the love and acceptance Jake/Eli finds from his two elder brothers, his father and even his father’s new wife was touching. Whether it was the Christmas spirit that was upon them or whether they were just nice people, the situation, as grim as it was, became a lot more bearable through their support. And not just for Jake/Eli!
Craig, the boyfriend Jake/Eli ran away from, is an absolutely amazing guy. He doesn’t seem so at first, because we see him through Jake/Eli’s eyes and he isn’t too sure what to think or how to deal with everything. As Jake/Eli realizes what is going on and how he really feels, my impression of Craig improved. That and the fact that Craig’s actions speak a lot louder than words ever could.
On the whole, this is one amazing book. If you like psychological insights, deep emotional drama and families finding each other again, you will probably like this story as much as I did. And while the story is set at Christmas time, and there is lots of Christmas spirit (if that is what you want to call it), this is a positive, uplifting story that is good to read at any time of the year. Just be ready for quite an emotional roller coaster ride before you get to the very rewarding ending.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
November 18, 2025
I love that there's quite a bit of emotion packed into this novella and that it also includes a sprinkling of angst and some heated sexy times. If I have one complaint it's that I would have liked for the end to have been fleshed out a bit more, but that's more about me being greedy and wanting more of these characters than anything else.
Please note: This is classic Calmes - where the main character - Eli/Jake - is beautiful and beloved by all, and...well if you're a Calmes fan you know how it goes. Just sayin'.
Robert Nieman is a new to me narrator. I enjoyed his style; he was really good at conveying the emotional depth of the story and characters and he brought out the angst of the storyline without making it a caricature.
I'm a bit bummed that he didn't really do character voices, which would usually worry me, but he delineated enough in his tone that I wasn't confused when multiple characters were conversing. Sure, I would have preferred a bit more on that end, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the narration on a whole.
All in all I enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Read: 09/2014, 06/2015, 01/2016
December 30, 2018
***4.5***
I was in need of a little crack this morning and though nominally this is a Christmas novella it worked very nicely in August to pull me from the doldrums of a pretty bad read. Seems fitting as my first Mary Calmes read was also a Christmas story which I wholly enjoyed. It's odd then that though I have a bunch of her books on my TBR queue and own quite a few I hadn't read any more until I recently did Frog. I think it might've been a self preservation thing because though I know I'm being gulled I surrendered willingly and will surely do it again. Add Michael Niemann as a narrator and a little slice of heaven was mine for a couple of hours.
Eli/Jake has abandoned his perfect boyfriend in Chicago and come home to California to a family he hasn't seen in 13 since he was twelve for reasons that are best not analyzed because they won't bear up under scrutiny. But if you let yourself fall under the spell you'll feel rewarded and be amazed at how much story and emotion is packed in a few short pages.
I won't scrutinize anything. I'll leave that for a second read. Today this gave me a much needed lift complete with a terrible past but a perfect future all wrapped up in heart melting love. A good writer can sell you bubble gum and call it dessert.
I was in need of a little crack this morning and though nominally this is a Christmas novella it worked very nicely in August to pull me from the doldrums of a pretty bad read. Seems fitting as my first Mary Calmes read was also a Christmas story which I wholly enjoyed. It's odd then that though I have a bunch of her books on my TBR queue and own quite a few I hadn't read any more until I recently did Frog. I think it might've been a self preservation thing because though I know I'm being gulled I surrendered willingly and will surely do it again. Add Michael Niemann as a narrator and a little slice of heaven was mine for a couple of hours.
Eli/Jake has abandoned his perfect boyfriend in Chicago and come home to California to a family he hasn't seen in 13 since he was twelve for reasons that are best not analyzed because they won't bear up under scrutiny. But if you let yourself fall under the spell you'll feel rewarded and be amazed at how much story and emotion is packed in a few short pages.
I won't scrutinize anything. I'll leave that for a second read. Today this gave me a much needed lift complete with a terrible past but a perfect future all wrapped up in heart melting love. A good writer can sell you bubble gum and call it dessert.
December 26, 2016
Gallic Cheesy Elf, you are truly awesome!! Thank you so much for this gift!! You are spoiling me and I love it :) ~hugs~
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For the shortness of the book, there is a lot covered here but I didn't feel like anything was missing at the end. It was nicely wrapped up without being rushed.
This is not a light, feel-good Christmas story. It's about a man with a horrible past who - with the help of his family and his boyfriend - is starting to heal after many years of running away and hiding from his memories and his emotions.
The story is told from Eli's / Jacob's POV and we get it piece by little piece until the gut-punch at the end.
The romance isn't the main part here (Eli and Craig don't have much on-page time) but their love for each other is palpable (and Craig is a sexy, possessive alpha-male who is all 'You are MINE', lol). Mostly, though, it's about the importance of family, healing, reconnecting, and forgiving.
Although this should have hit me right in the feelz, it didn't and I'm not sure why. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story, just that it didn't wreck me like I thought it would.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the shortness of the book, there is a lot covered here but I didn't feel like anything was missing at the end. It was nicely wrapped up without being rushed.
This is not a light, feel-good Christmas story. It's about a man with a horrible past who - with the help of his family and his boyfriend - is starting to heal after many years of running away and hiding from his memories and his emotions.
The story is told from Eli's / Jacob's POV and we get it piece by little piece until the gut-punch at the end.
The romance isn't the main part here (Eli and Craig don't have much on-page time) but their love for each other is palpable (and Craig is a sexy, possessive alpha-male who is all 'You are MINE', lol). Mostly, though, it's about the importance of family, healing, reconnecting, and forgiving.
Although this should have hit me right in the feelz, it didn't and I'm not sure why. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story, just that it didn't wreck me like I thought it would.
November 13, 2019
It’s hard to rate a book with punctuation errors, missing words, and wrong words any higher than three stars. And... I don’t think I was in the mood for Mary Calmes melodrama. That’s all I’m going to say.
September 15, 2013
Someone needs to poke me in the eye the next time I try to read a Mary Calmes book. This author is *so* not for me.
January 1, 2016
2.5 stars
Very confusing story.
I was completely bored and confused for the first half, then something happened that ignited a little spark of interest in me.
But after that it was more boredom for me. It’s not that it was a bad story, it just wasn’t the story for me.
We have Eli, who hasn’t seen his brothers and father for 13 years. He disappeared with his mother when he was 17. Eli left his boyfriend , Craig, behind in Chicago even though it is clear he still loves him.
Eli gets a very warm welcome from his family, but it is obvious they do not understand why he never came back to them. Just when Eli is pretty shaken up because he knows he has to come clean with his family, Craig arrives. He doesn’t want to give up Eli without a fight.
So together they tell what happened to Eli all those years ago.
Yeah… it was confusing for me too…
Not really a nice and warm Christmas story, even though the end was over the top sweet.
Very confusing story.
I was completely bored and confused for the first half, then something happened that ignited a little spark of interest in me.
But after that it was more boredom for me. It’s not that it was a bad story, it just wasn’t the story for me.
We have Eli, who hasn’t seen his brothers and father for 13 years. He disappeared with his mother when he was 17. Eli left his boyfriend , Craig, behind in Chicago even though it is clear he still loves him.
Eli gets a very warm welcome from his family, but it is obvious they do not understand why he never came back to them. Just when Eli is pretty shaken up because he knows he has to come clean with his family, Craig arrives. He doesn’t want to give up Eli without a fight.
So together they tell what happened to Eli all those years ago.
Yeah… it was confusing for me too…
Not really a nice and warm Christmas story, even though the end was over the top sweet.
March 20, 2016
This story was great…. The end.
But really, this story worked well for a short. Taking up a few hours at work and making it not so boring. The narrator worked well, giving Jacob/Eli a nice husky inner voice that created quiet reflection rather than chaos and drama.
This was a dramatic story. It was touching and intense, and emotionally draining. I worried for Jacob. I wondered what his damage was, and why he found it so difficult to trust, open up, and not flee from those who loved him.
The story unfolded slowly, with little pieces throughout that you had to really pay attention to before the big reveal. I had to suspend disbelief a few times because it didn’t quite add up.
I thought Craig was perfect for Jacob. I’m glad he didn’t accept Jacob’s brush off. It did make me wonder why, with someone so supportive, solid, and reliable, Jacob would take off in the first place, but given his issues, I guess it is plausible.
But really, this story worked well for a short. Taking up a few hours at work and making it not so boring. The narrator worked well, giving Jacob/Eli a nice husky inner voice that created quiet reflection rather than chaos and drama.
This was a dramatic story. It was touching and intense, and emotionally draining. I worried for Jacob. I wondered what his damage was, and why he found it so difficult to trust, open up, and not flee from those who loved him.
The story unfolded slowly, with little pieces throughout that you had to really pay attention to before the big reveal. I had to suspend disbelief a few times because it didn’t quite add up.
I thought Craig was perfect for Jacob. I’m glad he didn’t accept Jacob’s brush off. It did make me wonder why, with someone so supportive, solid, and reliable, Jacob would take off in the first place, but given his issues, I guess it is plausible.
January 17, 2013
Well color my ass surprised. I want to give this 3.5 because there were some moments that felt a bit rushed, over the top, and not developed, but fuck it. I liked this.
Read
January 29, 2015I finished.
Jem, L, y'all proud of me or what????
Jem, L, y'all proud of me or what????
January 27, 2013
An emotionally driven short story from Mary Calmes with slightly darker undertones than her normal offerings. Like another review I've read about it I agree that the story would have proffered more if it had been longer. There was a lot more to explore from each of Eli's/ Jacobs separate lives, but having said that it was still a satisfying read. Not sure if I would want to reread it again but having read all her others I'm glad I did give it a go.
I like Mary Calmes books and am one of her readers who doesn't have a problem with the fact that her stories and characters follow the same lines in every book - if I'd got fed up I'd have stopped buying them long ago and saved a lot of money because I don't think she's going to change her MO anytime soon - so I would say that even though this has shades of her normal character traits it's probably the least like her usual type. Perhaps that's why its 4*s for me and not 5! Still a worthy read though.
I like Mary Calmes books and am one of her readers who doesn't have a problem with the fact that her stories and characters follow the same lines in every book - if I'd got fed up I'd have stopped buying them long ago and saved a lot of money because I don't think she's going to change her MO anytime soon - so I would say that even though this has shades of her normal character traits it's probably the least like her usual type. Perhaps that's why its 4*s for me and not 5! Still a worthy read though.
December 8, 2011
I really like this one - 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Very dramatic and dark, but I liked the characters. Eli/Jake is of course damaged and scarred by his ordeal. He still has trouble dealing with the aftermath of his mother's death, but he is ready to close this page and move on to the next chapter of his life - with the help of Craig and his family. I usually like this writer's work, so no surprise here. Liked the closure at the end.
January 30, 2015
3.5 rounded up
A story made for eye rolling but I fell for it anyway. I teared up, and I smiled, and my heart melted a little.
I really liked it :)
The reactions from Eli's brothers and father got to me. And Craig...he was too good to be true, but I didn't care. The feelings he had for Eli, the things he said? *sigh*
A story made for eye rolling but I fell for it anyway. I teared up, and I smiled, and my heart melted a little.
I really liked it :)
The reactions from Eli's brothers and father got to me. And Craig...he was too good to be true, but I didn't care. The feelings he had for Eli, the things he said? *sigh*
December 5, 2011
3.5 stars. Good holiday m/m romance about a guy who hasn't seen his father or brothers for 13 years, since his mom took him and left. Since then, he's avoided getting close to people... except he has and now he's running away from that.
October 1, 2017
That was fantastic! I gotta say this story definitely had its Calmsisms but they were buried pretty deep. The MC's story grew perfectly over the course of the story and it totally worked. I loved the ending.
I listened to the audio version and the narrator (Robert Nieman) was amazing! There was a ton of dialog and he didn't get bogged down trying to do tons of different voices which worked well. I'll definitely check to see what else he's narrated, really nice.
I listened to the audio version and the narrator (Robert Nieman) was amazing! There was a ton of dialog and he didn't get bogged down trying to do tons of different voices which worked well. I'll definitely check to see what else he's narrated, really nice.
November 27, 2022
Kindle-Sort-ReRead
Was wary starting this because Calmes = OTT melodrama.
Mostly I liked it. Curious about J/Eli's story lots of emotion. It did fall to drama, which was that step too much. Overall though, it's a short read so worked.
Was wary starting this because Calmes = OTT melodrama.
Mostly I liked it. Curious about J/Eli's story lots of emotion. It did fall to drama, which was that step too much. Overall though, it's a short read so worked.
December 27, 2019
**Audio Re-Read**
Hmmm...this is not an easy read for me. It might have been even more difficult this go round.
Hmmm...this is not an easy read for me. It might have been even more difficult this go round.
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