Sands of Thyme

Delectable #0.5

by E.M. Lynley

Official Description: Burke Williams wasn’t planning on a vacation, but when his sister hands him a plane ticket and a packed suitcase the day after he finished a high-pressure programming project, he has little choice but to hop on the plane and go. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a gay beach resort like Cockatoo. For a guy more at home with a hard drive than happy hour, he feels like a fish out of water on the Caribbean island.

Only one other guy at the place seems to be enjoying it less than Burke: a handsome guy more interested in looking through his binoculars at the woods surrounding the resort than at the array of available Speedo-clad men laid out in rows of beach chairs, a veritable Smorgasbord of willing partners.

Stafford Nelson didn’t come to Cocaktoo to find a temporary bedmate, but he finds geeky Burke sweet and charming, and they hit it off immediately. But when Burke discovers what Staff is really after, it might shipwreck their blossoming connection.

Original Prompt:
Dear Author,
This vacation was not his idea, but when his sister bought him a vacation at a gay resort, he had no choice. All the men on lounges seemed so similar to a gay bar. How could he choose a man based on appearance alone? Them he saw a man looking at the water and sky through binoculars, sometimes writing in a notebook. Now our hero was intrigued.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

Read the story here or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 8.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Short Stories, Erotica, Gay, Ebooks

48 pages, ebook

First published June 15, 2012

About the author

EM Lynley writes gay erotic romance. She loves books where the hero gets the guy and the loving is 11 on a scale of 10. Her Precious Gems series is best described as “Indiana Jones meets Romancing the Stone”—only gayer. The Delectable series is Gay Romance with Taste.

A Rainbow Award winner and EPPIE finalist, EM has worked in high finance, high tech, and in the wine industry, though she'd rather be writing hot, romantic man-on-man action. She spent 10 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.

She is the author of Sex, Lies & Wedding Bells, the Precious Gems series from Dreamspinner Press, and the Rewriting History series starring a sexy jewel thief, among others. Her books are available in print and e-book from Amazon & other book distributors.

Reviews

[Exina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Burke Williams is in desperate need some time off. Not that he would ever admit it. So his sister books him in Cockatoo, an all-male clothing-optional holiday resort. This is where Burke meets Staff, who is here at Cockatoo to spy on a star chef staying in a neighboring hotel, and he tries to steal her secret recipe. Nice…

Anyway, Sands of Thyme is an uncomplicated, insta-lust / insta-I-feel-it’s-more-than-that-and-I-swear-I-want-something-serious-with-you-not-just-a-hookup story, with a HFN ending. Well, actually, it ends with a promise.

Burke was likeable, but Staff didn’t seem to be an honest person. Superficial characterization, rushed “romance”.

[Kazza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just lost my review. Great.

Succinctly. This book started off with humour and two guys I thought were interesting to pissing me off.

Burke is a bit of a shut-in with no love life. His sister takes matters into her hands, picking him up for 'lunch' but dropping him off at the airport, handing him a packed bag. All expenses paid on the gay clothing-optional Cockatoo Island Resort? Nice sister.

Burke started out fine. Self-deprecating.

He met Staff (I kept thinking workers), which is pronounced Staph. That made me think infection. However, Staff seemed nice enough, if not somewhat odd by taking off with his binoculars into the island's woods.

Then the shit hit the fan and this book and the characters were dead to me.

Staff gets caught by a snooping Burke looking over the fence into the women's section of the island with his binoculars. So Burke assumes he likes women - it's compounded by a lie from the night before. When Staff explains that a renowned chef is in there and she won't give up her recipes, and he wants to know what they are as he's a cook, Burke loses all credibility and moral compass by being perfectly okay with that. You know, as long as he isn't bi or straight, right? It's only creeping... and a fucking violation of her privacy!! Don't mind a woman is naked and this guy he has only just met is a) spying on a naked woman and b) theft is what Staff is doing. I mean, you have to suspend belief that she is writing her recipe right there anyway. So it's creepy stalker arsehole + one enabling response from a guy so desperate to be validated he'll excuse this behaviour. But, hey, Burke, I bet you would be pissed the hell off if it was your sister on the other side of the fence.

This book went from a fun, fluffy romance to angering me. This was not what I expected. Women cop enough crap as it is without this being okay in a gay romance book. Yes, I am damn mad.

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why is this tagged first time? They weren't butt virgins. I hate when inaccurate tags are used.

A cute story. Started off a little slow for me but still a sweet free read.

Well sweet if you overlook that Staff is a complete stalker and thief and liar.

he lies to mc about condoms. Which seems weird if he didn't want to have sex why not just say so or that he wasn't ready?

He is stalking the female and steals her private recipes and to me room watching her sun bathe topless with his binoculars. I don't care that he's also a chef, this lady is coming up with her own recipes and he's stealing them for his restaurant. The fact the mc was bothered by this but then completely dismissed it upon learning Staff was also a chef seems odd to me. Since they're in the same field it's okay to steal from her?

Then at end when mc says where he is from Staff says I know and he snooped around while mc is in shower and got his address off his luggage and stuff. And of course mc is okay that the guy lies, steal, and stalks.

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

Cute story and I really liked Burke, his insecurities and feeling out of his depth at the resort.

Now Staff, um..he is stealing another chefs recipe in a very backhanded and disgusting way, I mean watching her sunbathing topless with binoculars to see what she is writing, it's just wrong on so many levels.
And to be honest I was a bit disappointed that Burke didn't call him out on his thievery. And lying about the condoms wasn't so bad, but it would have just been better to say, I'm not ready for that, it would have gone a long way to show me he isn't a liar in all aspects of his life.
And why not tell Burke where he was from, when he asked, it seemed really weird, like he didn't want to get to personal, yet he knew where Burke was from and seemed to want something deeper, but says pointblank, I don't want to tell you anything personal about me, it just reinforced his not being an honest person for me.

So, I would have liked it better if Staff really was a birdwatcher, that's for sure.

[Riayl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stafford is a creepy stalker and a thief. A real chef wouldn't need to steal someone else's recipes, and I just don't understand how either MC thought this was an acceptable thing, especially the stalking aspect. Like it is somehow not creepy, sleazy, or invasive because he's gay and only after her recipes?

Obviously not my thing.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think that the author tried too hard to make a terrible story cute. I would give half a star if I could.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after enjoying Brand New Flavor so much. I wanted to try another book by EM Lynley and a freebie seemed like a no-risk way.

This was another fun book about two guys who meet and fall for each other, and neither really knows much about the other, just that they want to get to know each other better. The pressure of being at the resort was used very well. Burke thinks he has to pair up but he's not sure about how that's going to work. H doesn't want to be slutty, but then he's offended the guy doesn't want to have sex with him. His self-doubt was endearing and humorous. His thoughts about Staff's staff had me giggling out loud.

Overall the story was cute and funny, but I did think it would be better if it was longer, which is why I only gave it 4 stars. I loved that there was food in this one too and I can see a pattern with this author. Since I like to cook that's just fine with me.

I wanted to see what happens after they leave the resort. And I want the recipe for that chicken, damn it!

Maybe it's really 4.5 stars, since it was free. I think that's worth something on its own and thank the authors who spend time giving us freebies.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group, Love Is Always Write: Volume Eight.

This was good. Creative idea, and branched out from just a normal two-guys-meet-at-a-resort thing. The sex was steamy but there were a few times they seemed to be in impossible positions (lying face-to-face while Staff is fingering him but then all of a sudden he's licking Staff's dick?) Overall I liked it, but I gotta be honest, Staff's actions on the whole did not endear me to him at all. So you're stealing this woman's recipe basically?! Sorry that she kicks your butt every year but maybe you should concentrate on getting better on your own. That was kind of sketchy of him although having his binocular-looking be something different was cute.

[Penumbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about two men who meet at a gay resort. Burke and Staff are the main characters in this story. I liked Burke with his insecurities and his desire for something more than the casual hookup. I had trouble with Staff though. He was easy going, but I wonder about a man with questionable ethics that he would spy on another chef. He also easily lied to Burke and seemed to want to take control over the relationship on how fast it went and where it went. Staff's behavior kept me from liking him as much as I could have and enjoying the story more.

The author played around with words using them with double meanings which I liked.

[Dre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it 3.5 stars. I really liked it, and there were some funny parts, I just didn't necessarily feel the chemistry between Staff and Burke through the entire story. And I never know how to feel about snooping cuz I see both sides. Burke came off a little crazy for snooping when he only knew Staff for a few hours, and then stalking him into the woods and confronting him. Just seemed a little childish, but it's a short story, so I guess it all had to be squeezed in somehow, so I'll give it a pass.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how this story played out. Staff was an interesting character. Still can't believe one of the character's name is Staff in this. It just made me laugh so many times. Especially during one of the sex scenes.

Three thumbs up for safe sex conversations btw. I'll borrow my boyfriend's hand so that actually works.

I really believed the connection between Burke and Staff by the end of this. It made me really happy. Clever title too.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and Fun!

A comedic adventure with lots of laughter, a bit of mystery, and sexual chemistry that sizzles!

Sands of Thyme is a short story that is well written and a perfect choice for an afternoon pick me up.

The characters left me smiling long after I'd finished reading. A lighthearted offering, Lynley is quickly becoming one of my favorite storytellers.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - Sweet story. Burke and Staff were cute together. Thank you E.M. Lynley, for donating your story, time and talent.

[Helen Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and too short, wish it were longer.

[DC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh! Did nothing for me. I like stories that pull me in, take me to my fantasy place and in which I can relate on some level to at least one of the MCs. This achieved none of that. Right from the start, the premise made no sense. Burkes’s sister arranges a “vacation” at a Caribbean gay meat market - oh, excuse me, resort - and essentially forces Burke to go. There he meets Staff, who is there basically committing corporate espionage by spying on a TV chef at a neighboring women’s nude resort in order to steal her recipies. This story took me places I had no desire to go and I just couldn’t warm up to either of the MCs and just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. Add to that a very abrupt ending that felt very rushed and you have....well, meh! I did give this a little extra credit for the author recognizing the value of cooking with Sumac!

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one wasn't as great as I as hoping. I expected a little bit of dorky adorableness, but that isn't what I got. The "love" story was too easy and it seemed more like insta-lust with no real development. Both of the MCs were a little creepy and they were both liars, too. They lie to each other and snoop through each other's things. And I kind of hated that he was spying on that woman to steal her recipe. I didn't think it was cute or endearing. I thought it was sorta disgusting and pathetic.

[Guy Venturi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cook or crook? Spy or birdwatcher? Hot boy or beach bum?

Some questions are best asked early and some never in a relationship. Clothing optional resorts make it hard to think. Or even think without getting hard. But thinking about what you would do with someone if hard is hard to do when hard. You would hardly think cooking soft and tender chicken to taste would make you hard, unless you were the chicken.

Sometimes the race to see if a relationship develops before you run out of condoms isn't on the menu, but might be in the stars. Hope you brought the lube!

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short story had an interesting vibe, like the two young MCs were gentlemen seeking a mature relationship among the hedonists at a clothing optional gay resort. Guess I should be bothered that one MC steals, in an odd manner, something from a resort guest, but this wasn’t that deep a story for me to get shook about it.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit rushed, but adorable.

I grinned all the way through this short story. Two, slightly obsessive, geeky guys trying to navigate a vacation hookup when it doesn’t come naturally to either of them.

[Kayelle Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book with a charming tale of unexpected romance set against the backdrop of a clothing-optional resort. The relationship of two guests who seem equally out of place form the heart of the story. Stafford's withdrawn conduct and Burke's awkwardness make this a very fun read.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style of this was stiff and boring, I didn't like the characters, who acted awkward and lied.

[Jeremy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and could not put it down.

[Shira Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I SO enjoyed this short story - it's got all the elements I love, too: mystery, an exotic locale, hot guys, hot sex. Of course, I love anything by E.M., so it's not a huge surprise.

Burke is just sweet and naive enough that you want to take him home in your suitcase and tell him "it's going to be okay, hon." Staff is just mysterious enough that you want to love him, and yet something holds you back until you figure the whole mystery out. Without spoiling, the ending was sweet and funny. Oh, and of course the sex scenes are hot. Did I say that before?

I'm having such a great time reading these stories and seeing how each author handled the photo and the prompt. This prompt and this story make me wish I were the one sitting back on that chair drinking a Marguerita. Cheers and smiles, everyone!

[Kaseka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly adorable, considering its setting is a gay resort most patrons are visiting for no-strings sex. Given such an atmosphere, it was fun to follow the story of two outsiders who (very obviously) didn't fit in with the resort's typical clientele. I loved both main characters, and the ways each tried to protect himself emotionally for fear the other was one of those patrons only wanting sex. I loved watching both men "geek out" about their passions, and enjoyed the way Lynley revealed each man's insecurities and hopes for their relationship through character actions rather than exposition. Very sweet, this story. I'll definitely read more of E.M. Lynley.

[Wendy❤Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t come across a book yet that involved the main characters meeting at a gay vacation resort, so that was definitely different and the fact that it was a meddling sister who initiated it was cute. I liked Burke’s character – a little bit geeky and awkward and imperfect. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about Staff – I’m a little disappointed in his questionable ethics. Together, these guys were great and I did enjoy the story.

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I enjoyed this! I liked the setup and the premise and I so felt for Burke! I know what it's like being on projects and working 20 hours a day for months on end - at the end, it feels like you are just not all together and have a hard time acting "normal" again.

Staff is a good guy as well and I liked his approach with Burke. I would love to see what happens when they get back to the real world ;)

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this story was sweet. And I loved the setting. And Burke was adorable, in his geeky, shy way. But Staff was so unlikeable! He turned out to be a liar, a thief and a stalker! I wouldn't be able to trust him. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Good luck Burke!

[Smurphette_Jelly_Bean Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this. One day I will read the rest of the series and hope it isn't as bad as this. I could not get behind the MCs. They bored me. I hate giving low reviews. But sometimes it has to be done!

[qx · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Luta Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's with the first time tag?