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Another Believer
Jonah Simpson might be an athlete, but he's nobody's fool. It just so happens he appreciates what's between a guy's ears almost as much as what he's packing elsewhere. So when he spots an open seat next to serious but sexy David, the usually boring train ride up the Pacific coast quickly becomes an exercise in speed-dating. He's only got a few hours to get the nerd with an attitude to take him seriously.
David Sato has spent a lifetime being ignored by the hot guys at school. It doesn't take a genius IQ to know that if a jock is being nice to him, there must be a test coming up. So when the hottest guy David's ever laid eyes on -- let alone sat next to on a train – starts flirting with him, what's a robot-loving, socially awkward science geek to do?
Originally published in Torquere’s Kegs and Dorms anthology
David Sato has spent a lifetime being ignored by the hot guys at school. It doesn't take a genius IQ to know that if a jock is being nice to him, there must be a test coming up. So when the hottest guy David's ever laid eyes on -- let alone sat next to on a train – starts flirting with him, what's a robot-loving, socially awkward science geek to do?
Originally published in Torquere’s Kegs and Dorms anthology
- GenresContemporaryM M Romance
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2008
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 10, 2014
A Hearts On Fire Review
3.25 HEARTS--"Another Believer" is a new adult novella that takes place in one day on train traveling from California to Oregon. College student David Sato is geeky, snarky, vertically challenged and gay. He knows who he is and who he is not. So when jock athlete Jonah Simpson sits next to him on the train, he can't help but stare and have wicked fantasies in his head. It's not like it will go anywhere.
But what he doesn't expect is that the auburn haired jock sitting next to him is actually gay as well and totally interested in David. He's not just a jock and like his men to have something going on upstairs as well as downstairs.
The two strangers get to know each other, have minor struggles (David is insecure) and fall into lust all within 24 hours. It was light, a little sexy and easy to read.
The Good
Alternating point of view - I do like being in the head of each main character when possible.
The sex scenes were sexy - What's not to like about impromptu train sex? I wished some of the acts that David mentioned being done to him were described a little more in detail. But overall, David and Jonah can steam up a room.
The ending-the ending made me rate slightly higher than my original 3 Hearts rating. It might have been a little cliche but it was romantic and a little realistic at the same time. Plus, adorbs.
The Not as Good
There weer a few minor editing issues, it did not detract from the story. I like to get a sense of the main characters whenever I am reading a book. Jonah I mostly got - he's 24, a basketball college athlete (though at 24 I questioned why he was still in college-no info was ever provided) and well off. Not much depth but enough to keep the story interesting. David was geeky, slobbered all over Jonah from the moment he met him and was in a state of semi shock Jonah even looked his way...even after mutual blowjobs. David- I was on the fence with because his thought process was a little loopy. I could just brush it off as he's young (though his age was never mentioned) and still learning but I wanted to shake him him a bit. I'm not totally convinced about David's insecurity disappearing.
Also David claimed he was very shy and introverted...he never came across as shy or socially awkward. He had a few bumbling moments here and there but nothing that proved he was as shy as he told the reader he was. He slept with a virtual stranger in a few hours. Practices of the shy, socially inept? Not really. So I questioned his character altogether. Jonah didn't have to work that hard to get in David's pants in my opinion. I'm not saying all nerds are shy but don't claim to be something you're not.
The story is not exactly memorable and is a definitely a member of the tried and true trope' of geek vs. jock romance. But there was something about the ending, the last 5% that just worked nicely and made me smile.
Was it insta-love? Yep.
Did I believe the HFN/HEA? Eh...I can see them as a couple who could spend a couple of years together after their whirlwind one day hook-up.
The story is cute, not overly sweet with a few steamy moments. It might have been better if we got to learn more about the main characters and see them out of the magical train ride/ dickmatized atmosphere.
3.25 HEARTS--"Another Believer" is a new adult novella that takes place in one day on train traveling from California to Oregon. College student David Sato is geeky, snarky, vertically challenged and gay. He knows who he is and who he is not. So when jock athlete Jonah Simpson sits next to him on the train, he can't help but stare and have wicked fantasies in his head. It's not like it will go anywhere.
But what he doesn't expect is that the auburn haired jock sitting next to him is actually gay as well and totally interested in David. He's not just a jock and like his men to have something going on upstairs as well as downstairs.
The two strangers get to know each other, have minor struggles (David is insecure) and fall into lust all within 24 hours. It was light, a little sexy and easy to read.
The Good
Alternating point of view - I do like being in the head of each main character when possible.
The sex scenes were sexy - What's not to like about impromptu train sex? I wished some of the acts that David mentioned being done to him were described a little more in detail. But overall, David and Jonah can steam up a room.
The ending-the ending made me rate slightly higher than my original 3 Hearts rating. It might have been a little cliche but it was romantic and a little realistic at the same time. Plus, adorbs.
The Not as Good
There weer a few minor editing issues, it did not detract from the story. I like to get a sense of the main characters whenever I am reading a book. Jonah I mostly got - he's 24, a basketball college athlete (though at 24 I questioned why he was still in college-no info was ever provided) and well off. Not much depth but enough to keep the story interesting. David was geeky, slobbered all over Jonah from the moment he met him and was in a state of semi shock Jonah even looked his way...even after mutual blowjobs. David- I was on the fence with because his thought process was a little loopy. I could just brush it off as he's young (though his age was never mentioned) and still learning but I wanted to shake him him a bit. I'm not totally convinced about David's insecurity disappearing.
Also David claimed he was very shy and introverted...he never came across as shy or socially awkward. He had a few bumbling moments here and there but nothing that proved he was as shy as he told the reader he was. He slept with a virtual stranger in a few hours. Practices of the shy, socially inept? Not really. So I questioned his character altogether. Jonah didn't have to work that hard to get in David's pants in my opinion. I'm not saying all nerds are shy but don't claim to be something you're not.
The story is not exactly memorable and is a definitely a member of the tried and true trope' of geek vs. jock romance. But there was something about the ending, the last 5% that just worked nicely and made me smile.
Was it insta-love? Yep.
Did I believe the HFN/HEA? Eh...I can see them as a couple who could spend a couple of years together after their whirlwind one day hook-up.
The story is cute, not overly sweet with a few steamy moments. It might have been better if we got to learn more about the main characters and see them out of the magical train ride/ dickmatized atmosphere.
March 21, 2014
‘Another Believer’ is a charming story. Two young men meet on a train on their way to college and use the twenty-four hours before they arrive to their best advantage.
David Sato is a studious and very intelligent young man with the IQ of a genius and the nerdy attitude to match it. Convinced that his looks are nothing special he is used to other guys only ever pay attention to him when they need something from him; help with their studies and exams. In his fantasies these encounters may be romantic and sexy, he knows from experience that in real life he is not attractive enough to capture anybody’s attention. Especially not the attention of beautiful male specimens like the young man who takes a sit next to David on the train.
Jonah Simpson is an athlete who appreciates there is more to life than sport. In fact, he likes and enjoys intelligence about as much as he enjoys a soft but firm body. When he sees David on the train to college he feels immediate attraction to the serious looking young man and takes advantage of the vacant seat next to him. He wants David and is only too aware of the fact that he doesn’t have a lot of time to achieve his goal. And David’s stand-offish attitude doesn’t make matters any easier. Jonah has to apply all his wit, patience and seductive techniques in order to convince David that he really is interested in him and doesn’t have a secret agenda. Even after a wonderful and mind-blowing few hours, it will take all of Jonah’s powers of persuasion to convince David that this was not a once off for the journey. Jonah wants to continue what he’s started when they arrive at college, and he’ll find a way of convincing David of that regardless of what it might take.
This is going to be one of my shorter reviews. There really isn’t that much happening in this novella apart from what I’ve described above. Not that I’m complaining; like I said, this is a charming romance. It is also a well written and fun story. The banter between David and Jonah is sharp and quick enough to put a semi-permanent smile on your face.
The contrast between the two characters was both vivid and amusing. Jonah’s carefree and easygoing manner was the complete opposite of David’s dark and suspicious mind. I loved the way these two men sparked off each other. And I couldn’t help being touched by David’s constant battle between wanting to believe that maybe Jonah really was interested in him and his conviction that a man like Jonah could never feel attracted to someone like him.
With the story taking place over the course of one train journey taking about 24 hours the characters don’t have the time to really get to know each other in depth, and neither does the reader. While that makes complete sense in this story I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. We see enough of David and Jonah to become curious about them, only for that curiosity to remain unsatisfied by the time the story ends. In fact, this novella left me curious enough to hope that maybe the author might revisit these characters in the future and give us a glimpse of their relationship after they arrive at their destination.
As it is this was a sweet, easy to read and mildly sexy story that kept me entertained but also left me yearning for more.
David Sato is a studious and very intelligent young man with the IQ of a genius and the nerdy attitude to match it. Convinced that his looks are nothing special he is used to other guys only ever pay attention to him when they need something from him; help with their studies and exams. In his fantasies these encounters may be romantic and sexy, he knows from experience that in real life he is not attractive enough to capture anybody’s attention. Especially not the attention of beautiful male specimens like the young man who takes a sit next to David on the train.
Jonah Simpson is an athlete who appreciates there is more to life than sport. In fact, he likes and enjoys intelligence about as much as he enjoys a soft but firm body. When he sees David on the train to college he feels immediate attraction to the serious looking young man and takes advantage of the vacant seat next to him. He wants David and is only too aware of the fact that he doesn’t have a lot of time to achieve his goal. And David’s stand-offish attitude doesn’t make matters any easier. Jonah has to apply all his wit, patience and seductive techniques in order to convince David that he really is interested in him and doesn’t have a secret agenda. Even after a wonderful and mind-blowing few hours, it will take all of Jonah’s powers of persuasion to convince David that this was not a once off for the journey. Jonah wants to continue what he’s started when they arrive at college, and he’ll find a way of convincing David of that regardless of what it might take.
This is going to be one of my shorter reviews. There really isn’t that much happening in this novella apart from what I’ve described above. Not that I’m complaining; like I said, this is a charming romance. It is also a well written and fun story. The banter between David and Jonah is sharp and quick enough to put a semi-permanent smile on your face.
The contrast between the two characters was both vivid and amusing. Jonah’s carefree and easygoing manner was the complete opposite of David’s dark and suspicious mind. I loved the way these two men sparked off each other. And I couldn’t help being touched by David’s constant battle between wanting to believe that maybe Jonah really was interested in him and his conviction that a man like Jonah could never feel attracted to someone like him.
With the story taking place over the course of one train journey taking about 24 hours the characters don’t have the time to really get to know each other in depth, and neither does the reader. While that makes complete sense in this story I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. We see enough of David and Jonah to become curious about them, only for that curiosity to remain unsatisfied by the time the story ends. In fact, this novella left me curious enough to hope that maybe the author might revisit these characters in the future and give us a glimpse of their relationship after they arrive at their destination.
As it is this was a sweet, easy to read and mildly sexy story that kept me entertained but also left me yearning for more.
February 18, 2021
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews