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50 Reasons #4
Better Than Easy
"It's perhaps revealing that believe and naïve should rhyme so well..."
The fourth volume in the bestselling 50 Reasons series finds Mark about to embark on the project of a lifetime, the purchase of a hilltop gite in a remote French village with partner Tom.
But with shady dealings making the purchase unexpectedly complex, Mark finds himself with time on his hands - time to consider not only if this is the right project but whether Tom is the right man.
A chance meeting with a seductive Latino threatens to destroy every other relationship Mark holds dear, and as he navigates a seemingly endless ocean of untruths, Mark is forced to question whether any worthwhile destination remains.
Better Than Easy combines a tense tale of betrayal and a warming exploration of the mix of courage and naivety required if we are to choose love and happiness - if we are to continue to believe against seemingly impossible odds.
The fourth volume in the bestselling 50 Reasons series finds Mark about to embark on the project of a lifetime, the purchase of a hilltop gite in a remote French village with partner Tom.
But with shady dealings making the purchase unexpectedly complex, Mark finds himself with time on his hands - time to consider not only if this is the right project but whether Tom is the right man.
A chance meeting with a seductive Latino threatens to destroy every other relationship Mark holds dear, and as he navigates a seemingly endless ocean of untruths, Mark is forced to question whether any worthwhile destination remains.
Better Than Easy combines a tense tale of betrayal and a warming exploration of the mix of courage and naivety required if we are to choose love and happiness - if we are to continue to believe against seemingly impossible odds.
- GenresGay
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
24 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Nick Alexander
31 books664 followersMy novels:
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
Where Do We Go From Here (2025)
The Imperfection of Us (2023)
Perfectly Ordinary People (2022)
From Something Old (2021)
The Road to Zoe (2020)
You Then, Me Now (2019)
Things We Never Said (2017)
The Bottle of Tears (2016) (also published as Let the Light Shine).
The Other Son (2015)
The Photographer's Wife (2014)
Two novels featuring Hannah:
- The Half-Life of Hannah.
- Other Halves (Dec 2013)
Two novels featuring CC:
- The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend
- The French House (May 2013)
The Fifty Reasons Series, following the life of lovelorn Mark
- 50 Reasons to Say Goodbye
- Sottopassaggio
- Good Thing, Bad Thing
- Better Than Easy
- Sleight Of Hand
And the standalone novel
- 13:55 Eastern Standard Time
The Case Of The Missing Boyfriend, The French House, and The Half-Life of Hannah have all been huge kindle hits, reaching number #1 in Amazon's kindle chart.
I live in the southern French Alps with three mogs (Mangui, Pastel & Pedro) and a very special ferret.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 17, 2012
There is a certain something about Mark. What that is I am not sure. I am drawn to him as a character and each volume of Nick Alexanders 50 Reasons is beter than the last. It is a blooming great read. If you are looking for lots of sexual action you will be disappointed. There is some and thankfully it is not explicit, as that is not needed.
Honest opinion. Buy the 5 books in the series and take your time to read, digest and enjoy. Happy reading.
Honest opinion. Buy the 5 books in the series and take your time to read, digest and enjoy. Happy reading.
November 15, 2020
After Tom's infidelity and brush with death, and living with depression; Mark thinks the answer to Tom's troubles is to have a project/life to look forward to. This turns out not to be so straightforward: between shady dealings, not being able to trust that Tom is in it for the long-term and meeting the mysterious Ricardo; Mark finds himself questioning what he really wants and what is worth believing in.
September 20, 2021
Better than average wouldn't necessarily call it a gay romance novel the situation was more real. It posed a nice moral dilemma about cheating and hypocrisy. It can be read as a stand alone but I would have preferred to have read the first three as it would have given me a better understanding of one of the main protagonists and why he was trying to find the Impossible Dream. My cynicism maybe showing here.
January 3, 2014
the thing with this series of books is that it reflects how humans function in relationships, attraction, desire. On the surface you have someone who wants to be the perfect boyfriend, to commit for life and he expects that his partner should share his surface beliefs.
Underneath the surface there's a whole different scenario. The one who wants commitment also wants to play away, his subconscious desires are far from who he thinks and believes he is. Then there's the one who does play away and who pretends to be nothing more than what he is to himself but yet feels the need to cover up his true self for fear of losing than man he genuinely loves but who he can't commit to fully, physically.
So the question I suppose has to be asked, do we place too much pressure on a loving relationship? Can one not have sex outside of a relationship, as say one would use sport as a pastime? Is there a difference between having sex with someone outside of your relationship and then making love to your partner?
In an ideal world, would it work? I think not. Conditioning of humanity, inner turmoil between the conscious and subconscious and it all shows that human nature is very, very complex.
And of course this and the other three books in the series show this so very well
Underneath the surface there's a whole different scenario. The one who wants commitment also wants to play away, his subconscious desires are far from who he thinks and believes he is. Then there's the one who does play away and who pretends to be nothing more than what he is to himself but yet feels the need to cover up his true self for fear of losing than man he genuinely loves but who he can't commit to fully, physically.
So the question I suppose has to be asked, do we place too much pressure on a loving relationship? Can one not have sex outside of a relationship, as say one would use sport as a pastime? Is there a difference between having sex with someone outside of your relationship and then making love to your partner?
In an ideal world, would it work? I think not. Conditioning of humanity, inner turmoil between the conscious and subconscious and it all shows that human nature is very, very complex.
And of course this and the other three books in the series show this so very well
August 18, 2013
Mark meanders through more relationships. The latest book in the series is an essay on lying. It's so easy to tell a porky but is it wise to own up? The examples are all quite clever.
Mark is as annoyingly arrogant and self-obsessed as he is in he earlier books.
Overall I got the feeling that his was written from the heart and was brutally honest.
Mark is as annoyingly arrogant and self-obsessed as he is in he earlier books.
Overall I got the feeling that his was written from the heart and was brutally honest.
August 4, 2012
Still rooting for Mark all the way through this book! I wanted to strangle him at times, because of course, I knew exactly what he should do, but he wouldn't do it!
Ready to read #5 and see what happens to Mark next. Then I'll check out what else Nick Alexander has written.
Ready to read #5 and see what happens to Mark next. Then I'll check out what else Nick Alexander has written.
October 14, 2013
I don't think I have enjoyed a series of books as much as the 50 Reasons.... Series since reading all of Maupin's Tales Of The City. I've just ordered the final instalment (well last book so far) of the series. I'm looking forward to reading about Mark's latest exploits.
January 8, 2015
I really just want to say "read this book" but it does make sense to read the series in order, so I'm urging you to do just that.
Just. So. Good.
Really loved the way the story unfolded, and by now I have completely fallen in love with Mark.
Sleight of Hand, here I come :-)
Just. So. Good.
Really loved the way the story unfolded, and by now I have completely fallen in love with Mark.
Sleight of Hand, here I come :-)
April 25, 2012
Again, a continuance of nice writing. In fact, this is my favorite Alexander book so far.
August 10, 2013
Best of the series so far.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews