Title: Better Than Beginnings, A Better Than Good Short Story Collection
Series: Better Than Stories, 5
Author: Lane Hayes
Publisher: Lane Hayes
Release Date: January 30, 2020
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 105000
Genre: Romance, Bisexual, Established Couple, MM Romance, White Collar, Gay romance
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Synopsis
Matt Sullivan knows he met someone
special the night he spots the sexy man on the dance floor. However, he doesn’t
know his life is about to change forever. First of all, Matt is straight. Okay,
maybe not, but he doesn’t think falling in love and spending the rest of his
life with a hotheaded, unapologetically fabulous diva is an option.
Aaron Mendez is confident, smart, and
very comfortable in his skin. He knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go for
it. And though he might have reservations about falling for someone newly out
of the closet, no one has ever looked at Aaron the way Matt does.
Navigating a relationship has its
challenges, but both Matt and Aaron are willing to deal with difficult parents,
holiday blues, and learning curves. They know their happy ever after is worth
fighting for and that true love is better than good.
*This collection of short stories
follows the lives of Matt and Aaron from my first novel, Better Than Good. The
end of one chapter is the beginning of a whole new story from ordinary everyday
life to an engagement, a wedding, and more. This collection is dedicated to
Matt and Aaron fans and those who believe that the real love story happens
after the first “I love you”.
Review
Matt and Aaron and their
amazing love story. A love story per say.
Matt is crazy in love, he
even said the L word and doesn’t mind Aaron can’t say it yet.
Aaron is a sparkling personality,
wearing lipgloss, eyeliner, and lace. Matt is the serious and more balanced one.
Aaron is the assistant to
the editor in chief of a fashion magazine. Matt graduated and can call himself
a lawyer. But looking at Aaron he knows what’s the most important in his life.
Matt meets Aaron’s family.
He is reluctant to tell his own mother he has a boyfriend.
His mother is nagging him
about girls, quite exhausting. When he finally has the nerves to tell them, it
was like his family decided to ignore it.
This book is a collection
of short stories about Aaron and Matt but it felt more like one large story.
Every part merged smoothly into the other.
We can follow them about
six to seven years, moving in together, decorating, finishing the study,
starting new jobs, a first Pride, important parties, holidays. We can see them
grow and getting steady. Their bond is unbreakable.
Dang they are everything
together. They love each other so intensely and strongly it was a bit
mind-blowing. With their vibrant passionate love life, not one sexual action is
repetitive and that was a whole lot of awesomeness!
They are two engaging guys,
lovable, with a lot of kindness. Both transparent and know what they want and
stand for. So beautiful to watch their togetherness.
The natural way they behave
around each other and grow together was absolutely fabulously done.
Is was an awesomely
enjoyable story, somewhat easygoing because of the way they fit so wonderfully.
The only negative thing in
this story was a very annoying family member who I wanted to strangle, shake
hard, and even smash in the face.
Matt is the one who tells
95% of this story and what a wonderful voice he has. How he sees his man, as a
Puerto Rican American spitfire with a wicked sense of humor and a lust for
life, speaks of deep love!
I was mesmerized by this
story, their love so strong, so honest, so sensual, so much joy. It was
everything! They made me shed many emotional tears, they’re simply the best.
The story was well
build-up, with an engagingly writing style. It was all thoroughly captivating
and had two delightful heartwarming characters both excellently developed. I
wanted to embrace them and squeeze them hard.
What I enjoyed the most was
the certainty of their love, no exes, no intrusive colleagues, no horrible
family members could tear them apart.
I could read this without
being afraid something unrepairable would happen, nothing of that all, it felt
so safe. I could fully relax and sit comfortably, read and enjoy this wonderful
story.
All the love for this journey!
Highly recommended!
Excerpt
Better Than Candy from Better Than
Beginnings, A Better Than Good Short Story Collection
Aaron gave me the silent treatment for a
while, and I have to admit I didn’t mind the quiet. For an hour anyway. Then I
did mind.
“Come on. You can’t not talk to me all
day.”
“Oh, so now you want to talk?” he
huffed.
“Yeah. Let’s talk. Come closer so I can
touch you too. I’ll be good.” I perched on one of the stools at the island in
our kitchen and swiveled to face the hockey game on the flat-screen across the
room.
“I don’t trust you,” he grumbled,
crossing his arms and glaring at me.
“Come on. I’ll behave. Give me a kiss.
Please?” I gave him my best “You can trust me” look.
Aaron sighed dramatically before
shuffling over to stand between my thighs. Directly in the way of the hockey
game.
“Are you going to make it up to me? Or
are you going to watch the Steelers?”
“Okay, funny guy, let’s start with a
little re-education. The Steelers are a football team.” I pulled him into my
arms and squeezed him tightly, burrowing my chin into his shoulder and blowing
raspberries on his neck. “Sadly, their season is over, but thankfully it’s
basketball and hockey season now. You’re currently blocking a hockey game, but
not my Penguins, so I’ll let you off the hook.”
“Excuse me?” he huffed irritably.
“You heard me. If you’d like to take
some time to make up for my hour in hell, I will more than gladly join you…on
the sofa, in the bedroom, or even in that green guest bathroom with the cool
new towels we just bought. What’s it gonna be?” I held him even tighter and
tickled his sides.
He laughed, his eyes twinkling with
restored humor as he stepped out of my reach and peeled off his T-shirt.
“First of all, the color is eucalyptus,
not green. Hockey and basketball are only marginally better than football and…”
He furrowed his brow when I smacked his ass for sheer blasphemy. “And, you are
making up with me. Not the other way around. You behaved like a five-year-old.
I had no idea you were such a brat.”
“You promised not to torture me, but you
did anyway. Even that lady at the store agreed you should have gone alone,” I
singsonged.
He stepped between my thighs and rested
his arms over my shoulders.
“She called you my husband. That was
kind of funny.”
“Yeah.” I kissed his nose and pulled him
closer to squeeze his ass.
“It didn’t freak you out?”
“Nope. And you wanna know why?”
“Hmm?”
“ ’Cause I’m gonna marry you someday.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just do. You’re my person. And even
though I can think of about ten other things I’d rather do with you, going
shopping wasn’t the worst ’cause I still got to be with you.”
Aaron bit his bottom lip and nodded.
“Oh, that was good, Matty. I almost can’t remember why I’m mad at you.”
“You’re not mad. You love me. You just
don’t know it yet.” I scooped him over my shoulder in a fireman’s hold before
he could protest. “No more talking. You have some making up to do.”
I carried him into our bedroom and
tossed him onto the bed before kicking off my shoes and pulling my sweater over
my head. Aaron undressed quickly, then folded the duvet back and got on all
fours in the middle of the bed. I gulped when he shook his ass in invitation.
Fuck, he was sexy. I stepped out of my jeans and boxer briefs in a hurry and
immediately reached for my cock. I was so hard it hurt. I approached the bed
and kneeled behind him, running my fingers along his spine and over the curve
of his hips.
Aaron turned to give me a seductive
look. “What are you waiting for?”
“Sometimes I can’t believe I’m here with
you.”
He frowned before straightening and
scooting toward me, wrapping his arms around my neck. “But here we are. And I
think this is the way it’s supposed to be,” he whispered.
I brushed my lips over his and closed my
eyes for a moment. “Mine.”
Purchase at Amazon
BETTER THAN GOOD is on sale for just 99 cents. Available HERE.
Other books in the Better Than series. Get them all HERE!
Meet the Author
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, and 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |Instagram | BookBub
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