What do you think?
Rate this book
Safe Harbor
A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2012 Advent Calendar collection Evergreen.
Seven years ago, Blake ran away from the trauma of his father’s death and his romantic feelings for his best friend, Tom. To Blake’s surprise when he returns home on Christmas Eve, Tom is at the dock to greet him and tell him he’s forgiven for running as long as he has Christmas dinner with Tom and his grandmother, Alice. A cozy family afternoon and filling meal later, Tom and Blake share some brandy—and some confessions that make their holiday wishes come true.
Seven years ago, Blake ran away from the trauma of his father’s death and his romantic feelings for his best friend, Tom. To Blake’s surprise when he returns home on Christmas Eve, Tom is at the dock to greet him and tell him he’s forgiven for running as long as he has Christmas dinner with Tom and his grandmother, Alice. A cozy family afternoon and filling meal later, Tom and Blake share some brandy—and some confessions that make their holiday wishes come true.
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2012
39 people want to read
About the author
Laylah Hunter
28 books57 followers Laylah Hunter is a third-gendered butch queer who writes true stories about imaginary people in worlds that never were. Most of hir work deals with queer characters, erotic themes, and the search for happy endings in unfavorable circumstances.
Hir mild-mannered alter ego lives in Seattle, at the mercy of the requisite cats and cultivating the requisite caffeine habit, and dreams of a day when telling stories will pay all the bills.
Hir mild-mannered alter ego lives in Seattle, at the mercy of the requisite cats and cultivating the requisite caffeine habit, and dreams of a day when telling stories will pay all the bills.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 21, 2014
Set in Boston, yet the vocabulary and speech patterns are pure Brit. Just write what you know, people. *smh*
January 16, 2013
~~~
This was a cute story, with a nice concept; Blake's been away and is surprised to find his best friend is there to greet him upon his return. They had had a sudden and difficult separation and neither is sure of the other's interest in renewing their friendship.
Unfortunately, this one didn't quite get there for me. The present tense just didn't work here. There's also some funny phrasing that gives the story a weird mix of old world imagery. I wasn't sure if I was in a contemporary story or reading a period work. I'm still not too sure.
If present tense doesn't bother you, then you might give this a try, but for me it just missed the mark.
~~~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.blogspot.com
This was a cute story, with a nice concept; Blake's been away and is surprised to find his best friend is there to greet him upon his return. They had had a sudden and difficult separation and neither is sure of the other's interest in renewing their friendship.
Unfortunately, this one didn't quite get there for me. The present tense just didn't work here. There's also some funny phrasing that gives the story a weird mix of old world imagery. I wasn't sure if I was in a contemporary story or reading a period work. I'm still not too sure.
Blake swallows hard, finding his voice. "You've been waiting for me to come back?"
Something pained flits across Tom's face for an instant. "For ages," he says gently, before he recovers his bluster. "You can't just walk out on being a fellow's best friend, you know!"
If present tense doesn't bother you, then you might give this a try, but for me it just missed the mark.
~~~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.blogspot.com
December 9, 2019
Short and sweet.
January 3, 2013
This is a variation on the "best friends turn lovers" theme with a small twist: Blake ran away as soon as he realized he might have feelings for Tom. Interestingly, he wasn't scared to admit he was gay, the thought of losing Tom as a friend was the stronger fear for him. He was 16 at the time, and hasn't been back home for 7 years. I thought that was quite a good setup for a Christmas story, giving us just enough background about the characters to understand where they were coming from and with great hopes for a (well deserved, after 7 years) happy end. And Laylah Hunter didn’t disappoint me.
If anything, this story is about hope, and the way that telling the truth and facing our own feelings can set us free. Tom may have been the one who traced Blake, and invited him home for Christmas, but both men need to face the truth of their emotions. And the good thing is that their friendship is still there, even if Tom's chess game has become good enough he can beat Blake now. It was a great symbol to show that they are now equals.
If you like short stories without much drama but lots of emotion, if you enjoy reading about reunions, and if you’re looking for a relaxing Christmas-time read, give this one a try.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
If anything, this story is about hope, and the way that telling the truth and facing our own feelings can set us free. Tom may have been the one who traced Blake, and invited him home for Christmas, but both men need to face the truth of their emotions. And the good thing is that their friendship is still there, even if Tom's chess game has become good enough he can beat Blake now. It was a great symbol to show that they are now equals.
If you like short stories without much drama but lots of emotion, if you enjoy reading about reunions, and if you’re looking for a relaxing Christmas-time read, give this one a try.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 1, 2013
This was sweet, but too short for me to really appreciate it the way I'd hoped to. There wasn't really time to get to know either of the characters, plus there was quite a bit of confusion as to setting. It seemed historical with the candles and all, but Blake mentions having been with other men on several occasions in the past. Unless sailors in the 1800's or whenever this is set were much more open-minded than their landlocked counterparts, that bit was difficult for me to believe.
Also, not having seen the years of pain and sadness and loneliness that Blake tells us he's gone through, the whole story seems a little too good to be true. Which, I know, is a silly thing to say about a Christmas romance story... but there you go.
Still a sweet story, just very odd.
Also, not having seen the years of pain and sadness and loneliness that Blake tells us he's gone through, the whole story seems a little too good to be true. Which, I know, is a silly thing to say about a Christmas romance story... but there you go.
Still a sweet story, just very odd.
September 1, 2013
Sweet and short - a very cute story about coming home and two best friends re-connecting as lovers.
December 17, 2012
I was really confused on the setting and genre for this story. It's told in first person from Blake's POV and I couldn't tell if it was historical or contemporary; set in America or the UK. It seems like a historical setting because they don't use electricity but light candles and such, yet it's okay for two guys to embrace so openly. And while it's set in Boston, they use British words a lot.
It's a nice enough story about coming home and the characters are interesting so I enjoyed it but the setting issue nagged me throughout the whole story. I also felt like there should have been more background about Tom and Blake's history. I felt like the explanation given for why Blake ran away was too brief especially since it centered around his father but not much about his death was elaborated on. Overall, I liked the story but it was definitely too short for the content, IMO. I did love the grandmother, though! She was pretty awesome.
It's a nice enough story about coming home and the characters are interesting so I enjoyed it but the setting issue nagged me throughout the whole story. I also felt like there should have been more background about Tom and Blake's history. I felt like the explanation given for why Blake ran away was too brief especially since it centered around his father but not much about his death was elaborated on. Overall, I liked the story but it was definitely too short for the content, IMO. I did love the grandmother, though! She was pretty awesome.
April 16, 2016
Oh this one was lovely. So sweet and just warm fuzzies from start to finish. It was friends to lovers and it had me crying sad/happy tears throughout the story.
I can easily see this being a much longer read than it was, but having said that the author did a fabulous job of creating a beautiful story that embraced the holiday spirit of believing in all things being possible.
Blake ran away 7 years ago unable to deal with the loss of his father and the realization that his feelings for his friend were more than they should have been. As his ship docks in a Boston harbor he's contemplating a holiday that for him holds no joy. Leaving the ship he's greeted by the sight of the one person who can change that...his best friend Tom and thus begins their reunion.
If a holiday story that leaves you smiling with the possibilities offered by hope and love at this special time of year is what you're looking for I recommend adding this little gem to your reading list.
I can easily see this being a much longer read than it was, but having said that the author did a fabulous job of creating a beautiful story that embraced the holiday spirit of believing in all things being possible.
Blake ran away 7 years ago unable to deal with the loss of his father and the realization that his feelings for his friend were more than they should have been. As his ship docks in a Boston harbor he's contemplating a holiday that for him holds no joy. Leaving the ship he's greeted by the sight of the one person who can change that...his best friend Tom and thus begins their reunion.
If a holiday story that leaves you smiling with the possibilities offered by hope and love at this special time of year is what you're looking for I recommend adding this little gem to your reading list.
December 22, 2012
I enjoyed the characters.I wish this was a longer story, it felt like someone cut out the center of a story and published it. I kept feeling that there was more to this story that could have been written out rather then skimmed over in exposition. The ending was touching but could have been more had there build up of the angst of (imagined) unrequited love. (I can't believe I just said a story needs more angst.)
One last suggestion to the author, the action scenes need to be more 'action' less descriptive.
Yet I found it to be a sweet touching Friends to Lovers romance story. The emotional confession of both men is sweet. The erotic nature is well written.
The ending lines are super sweet and heart warming.
One last suggestion to the author, the action scenes need to be more 'action' less descriptive.
Yet I found it to be a sweet touching Friends to Lovers romance story. The emotional confession of both men is sweet. The erotic nature is well written.
The ending lines are super sweet and heart warming.
December 23, 2012
This was a short, lovely read that I've already gone back to once more. It has that wonderful mid-late 1800s-early 1900s feel to it, which is an area of historical fiction I've always enjoyed. The characters were well developed for its length, and the story was just spot on for the type of warmth and holiday cheer that I was hoping to read.
One thing I especially liked was that this story avoided the trap of many romance stories where all minor (and especially female) characters are little more than cardboard cutouts or terrible stereotypes. Alice, though her part was very small, felt like a very real person with her own life and motivations. There were also many small details that helped to make the setting - and Blake and Tom - feel very real.
One thing I especially liked was that this story avoided the trap of many romance stories where all minor (and especially female) characters are little more than cardboard cutouts or terrible stereotypes. Alice, though her part was very small, felt like a very real person with her own life and motivations. There were also many small details that helped to make the setting - and Blake and Tom - feel very real.
August 14, 2016
I don't know exactly why this worked for me, I just know it did. It's only twenty-two pages by my reader's count, and it doesn't try to do too much. When I finished, I wasn't cranky because it didn't feel complete. It's a simple story, properly paced (in my opinion, obviously.) The tone's warm and just...nice. When I go looking for a Christmas story, this is what I'm hoping to get.
It's not tagged as such at DSP, and I see at least a couple reviewers are confused, but it certainly read as a historical to me throughout. Assuming I'm correct, using past tense probably would have helped with that - present tense, which I'm almost never a fan of, does seem out of place in historicals to me. [/old fogey]
It's not tagged as such at DSP, and I see at least a couple reviewers are confused, but it certainly read as a historical to me throughout. Assuming I'm correct, using past tense probably would have helped with that - present tense, which I'm almost never a fan of, does seem out of place in historicals to me. [/old fogey]
December 14, 2012
The story was short, perhaps too short for me to really connect with the MC's. I did like the premise and the few things that did happen in 30 pages.
My main problem with this was that the writing is very British. Blake and Tom were raised in Boston but they talk like two old-fashioned British upper class twits and certainly not like young American men. It says the author lives in Seattle. How can she write dialogue where they use the word "fellow" about each other? This really bothered me while reading, hence the low rating.
My main problem with this was that the writing is very British. Blake and Tom were raised in Boston but they talk like two old-fashioned British upper class twits and certainly not like young American men. It says the author lives in Seattle. How can she write dialogue where they use the word "fellow" about each other? This really bothered me while reading, hence the low rating.
March 22, 2015
Blake left home seven years ago after the death of his father and hasn't looked back. But when he returns home, his best friend Tom is waiting for him and quickly makes him wonder if maybe he left more behind than he was willing to admit.
This is short, sweet, and fun to read. These two are just so adorable and it's always fun to see people get a potential second chance at something the missed out on before. Certainly worth a read.
This is short, sweet, and fun to read. These two are just so adorable and it's always fun to see people get a potential second chance at something the missed out on before. Certainly worth a read.
December 18, 2012
Blake is back home at Christmas but sees no joy only the pain of what can never be. His best friend tom shows up to take him home for Christmas and he's sure his will break but better this pain then the pain of never speaking at all. But the surprises of Christmas might not all be played out yet.
December 12, 2012
This is a lovely read of friendships lost and found, of taking chances, of being open to new possibilities.
There are more than a couple very sweet and tender moments in this story (and yes, I teared up, I admit it) as well as a hot scene.
Please see Mr. P's complete review on Dec. 18, 2012 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
There are more than a couple very sweet and tender moments in this story (and yes, I teared up, I admit it) as well as a hot scene.
Please see Mr. P's complete review on Dec. 18, 2012 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
December 14, 2012
Blake comes home for Christmas after being away for seven years. He is in love with his best friend, Tom, but has always been too scared to tell him. This was a really short story but I liked the way that the friends admitted their feelings to each other. There was a lot of hope in this story and I like to think that Blake and Tom will get their HEA.
December 14, 2012
2.5 stars
Seven years ago, at the age of 16, Blake left his hometown to become a sailor. The reason? He was in love with his best friend, Tom, but was too afraid to say anything. Today, Tom managed to trace Blake and invited him back home. What's the reason Tom tried hard to find Blake?
The story is a nice childhood-friends-to-lovers story, but it really doesn't add much to the theme.
Seven years ago, at the age of 16, Blake left his hometown to become a sailor. The reason? He was in love with his best friend, Tom, but was too afraid to say anything. Today, Tom managed to trace Blake and invited him back home. What's the reason Tom tried hard to find Blake?
The story is a nice childhood-friends-to-lovers story, but it really doesn't add much to the theme.
December 21, 2012
This was a historical holiday story. I don't typically like historicals, but this was sweet. Tom has loved Blake forever and he finally gets his chance when Blake returns to his home town after seven years. I wish it was a longer so that I could have gotten to know the characters a little better, but it was good overall.
December 18, 2012
A sweet holiday story about two childhood friends reuniting after a long time apart. Short and well-written, with a few moments that genuinely made my heart twist (their first kiss, Tom's reasons for becoming a lawyer).
January 25, 2015
This left me sort of confused - was this contemporary? If he never comes around when they are in harbor, how does Tom find him? And why did Tom find him after seven years?
December 6, 2012
2.25 stars
December 14, 2012
3.5 stars
Historical but timeless.
Historical but timeless.
December 14, 2012
A nice, sweet short story about two friends who find back to each other. :)
December 15, 2012
Short, sweet read :) I loved the feeling of home and comfort and warmth, once Blake went home with Tom. That was lovely.
December 16, 2012
The main storyline is to short. I like both MC's but for me, both of them were to undeveloped. This story could be better.
December 19, 2012
Read my review of this story and other DSP holiday shorts at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
To be posted on December 21, 2012. Happy Holidays and happy reading.
October 22, 2014
Blake runaway 7 years ago from problems and tom but now his back and he just might have a chance this time round.
December 26, 2012
This was nice, but could have used a few pages more for the boys to get to know each other again
February 7, 2014
more of 2,5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews