| Title | : | Another Shot |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 81 |
| Publication | : | First published October 28, 2015 |
Brad Collins only has one regret and he’s carried it with him since he was a teenager. When he moves to Heartsville and gets set up on a blind date with the most adorable, engaging man he’s met in a long time, he couldn’t be happier. But Brad didn’t expect the guy to be the person he outed in high school—who he’s now falling in love with.
Aaron and Brad hit it off instantly—in and out of the bedroom. But after a long overdue apology and a small serving of resentment, is their fledgling relationship worth another shot?
Another Shot Reviews
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Another Shot by
J.H. Knight is a book in the super-fun-sugary
Heartsville "Welcome to the Gayboorhood" series. This is a great edition to the kick-back-and-relax series, where you know you will be entertained, basically angst-free, for a few hours. I like to call them "bathtub books" because they are the perfect length before the water runs cold.
Another Shot is the story of coffee shop owner Aaron Forester and hunky, sweet-as-honey Brad Collins, the owner of a "green" construction company. They are set up on a blind date by Aaron's sister and hit it off right away. The emotions and sexual tension between these boys are high and in a refreshing chance of pace, these two wait for several weeks before jumping into bed together.
They do take a big stumble on their path to a HEA, but it is resolved pretty quickly and the angst is minimal. Perfect bathtub book.
This was delightful, funny and warm with absolutely perfect secondary characters. Add in a few hot sex scenes to put a big, fat cherry on top! This is short story perfection. A breezy, light read to give you a lovely case of the warm 'n fuzzies.
4.5 stars rounded up because of Mandy, Messy, Amelia and a dreamy epilogue.
Recommended!
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Aaron & Brad's story
Aaron is the easygoing coffee shop owner who has cameo appearances in a couple other books in this series. This is the fourth Heartsville book I've read, and it put a big smile on my face.
When Aaron agrees to go on a blind date arranged by his pesky sister, he doesn't expect to meet a guy who pushes all his buttons and then some.
Brad is mature, engaging, and fun. He and Aaron hit it off right away, and the good times commence: pizza dates, pumpkin carving, ferris wheel kisses. No wonder Aaron is smitten.
Ah, but therein lies the rub. Brad ditches Aaron the morning after their first sleepover and then appears a few days later to confess that two decades prior he took a picture of Aaron kissing another boy, which led to Aaron getting bullied.
Despite Brad's revelation, this is very much a feel-good story. Aaron and Brad are ridiculously adorable together. I loved their snappy conversations and the clear adoration they showed one another. There's one sexy scene but many kisses.
Aaron's sister is an awesome secondary character. She pushes Aaron to give Brad another chance. Smart girl, that one.
I really enjoy Knight's writing style, and even though this book is from Aaron's third-person POV, I felt both MCs were fairly well developed. (None of the stories have a dual POV, which is understandable, as it's rather difficult to develop two distinct voices in approximately 1,200 locations.)
This is one of my favorites in this series! I was glad to see these guys get a strong HFN. -
4.5 Stars!
Another winner from the series, this one might be my favorite so far.
It was the perfect light, easy, sweet read with a touch of spice!
Really enjoying this series! -
Aaron Forester was outed his sophomore year of high school. After that he was bullied to the point of violence until his parents decided to move to Heartsville. Now Aaron lives a happy life and runs a popular coffee shop. However, he hates being alone, so when his sister sets him up on a blind date, he agrees.
Aaron hits it off with Brad Collins, a hot and sweet owner of a green construction firm, immediately. They have a lot of fun together and they start to fall in love with each other. But their relationship turns rocky when Aaron gets to know that Brad is the person who outed him.
It's a great feel-good story. I really liked the second chance theme and I think this novella is my favorite one in the series so far. -
*3.5 stars*
Cute story, but I wish the blurb didn't reveal EVERYTHING. Full review to come shortly. -
Another Shot is the delightful story of two men, Aaron, and Brad, who are set up on a blind date and actually hit it off. Unfortunately, past events threaten to unravel their new relationship.
Now this is how you write a novella!
It was sweet, fun, sexy, with a tinge angst, and lovely epilogue. It was the perfect read for my Friday night after a stressful work week.
What I loved:
*Great cast of characters, main and secondary.
*Light on the angst, high on the feel good vibes.
*Great story flow.
*Nice steam.
*And a lovely ending that will leave you with a smile on your face.
If you're in the mood for an endearing story that will leave you with the warm fuzzies then you need not look any further! 4.5 Stars.
**ARC kindly provided by the author for an honest review.**
**Reviews is cross posted at Gay Book Reviews.** -
Where
Unscripted might've been infused with a little whimsical farfetched-ness at the relationship progression (and being a bit steamier), this was grounded more in realism.
Aaron reluctantly agrees to a blind date set up by his sister, and to his immense surprise, he hits it off beautifully with Brad. There's just one tiny snag. Their pasts are entwined more than they realize, and the truth might derail them before they've even had a chance to begin.
Sounds like quite the angsty scenario, but this is Heartsville after all. Oh come on. No worries. Happily ever after guaranteed ;) -
3.5 stars
The third Heartsville story I read -- I read in order of release date -- and my favorite so far. This is also my first J.H. Knight's and it was good.
I genuinely thought that the chemistry between Aaron and Brad was good and the relationship felt more developed than the previous two, despite the similar length. I enjoyed these two characters going on dates, talked about things, just really connected outside the bedroom. Plus it took a little while before we got down into the 'sex' part of the program.
I was sort of expecting a little bit drama in regards to Brad's involvement in outing Aaron's years ago. I guess I thought it would be a very big deal. I mean, as a reader (who read the blurb *lol*) I knew about Brad's secret before Aaron. So I kinda building up something of a bigger climax. Well, Brad was involved but not exactly like what I first thought. So, maybe it didn't match the kind of explosion I had in mind.
But yeah, this was good, I really liked it. -
This was delightful! I was anxiously waiting for Aaron's story, the owner of the gayborhood's café, and the author did not disappoint.
"Dear Mandy and God of Gay Men, if this guy isn’t a serial killer who wants to eat my toes for breakfast, I totally owe ya one."
It all starts with a blind date that Aaron's sister sets up for him. Surprisingly, it is a big success. Brad and Aaron hit it off immediately, they have a lot in common and the sex is amazing. Until....
Until Brad turns out to be the guy who played a major role in outting Aaron back in high school. When Brad realises it he freaks out. When Aaron learns about it he freaks out too. But this is the start of something amazing and thankfully both men realise it can't go to waste.
I know J.H.Knight can do angst and heartbreak, but this is pretty light and actually funny! I especially liked the banter between Aaron and his best friend Justin...I don’t know. I guess I’m just ready for a guy like….”
“You?”
“I guess, yeah. Someone who likes to sit back and watch a good show on the weekend or go for a bike ride by the river and feed the ducks or whatever.”
“Oh my God!” Justin stopped on the sidewalk, eyes wide. “I know the perfect person for you.”
Curious, Aaron asked, “Who?”
“My grandmother.”
“I hate you.”
The secondary characters, Mandy, little Amelia, Justin and even Aaron's dad are perfection!
For its short length this is a pretty steamy read. The ending is a very strong HFN that left me warm and fuzzy.
Looking forward to the next stories! It's Adam's turn!
* Review crossposted on
Gay Book Reviews. ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*
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A perfectly balanced story of forgiveness and heart - I loved it!
This started out as a blind date gone right. Aaron and Brad clicked from the beginning and from the blurb that shit would end up getting too real. Annnnd it did. BUT, JH Knight made it work. Aaron’s feelings about the past were never discounted and Brad didn’t continue carrying guilt that wasn’t his burden. The potential for angst and stubborn miscommunication was high, but JH Knight handled it perfectly. It was really no easy feat for a novella, the balance has to be just right to buy the past and the forgiveness and I totally did.
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I'm loving these little stories!
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This one was my favorite of the series. It had it all, humor, sweetness, angst and best of all, fabulous secondary characters. But that's what I've come to expect from JH Knight's stories so this one fit right in with all the other ones I've read and loved by her. So, JH, can we have Simon's story now? PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE??????
Mini review of this and all the other stories in the series can be found at
www.boymeetsboyreviews.com -
2.5 Stars
My first experience reading a J.H. Knight story, and I’ll happily acknowledge that the writing style was smooth, lovely and easy to read. Unfortunately, the story itself, and its characters, just left me feeling a tad flat. This definitely seems to be a case of it’s not you, it’s me, and I’ll be sure to not let my (random) disconnect here stop me from exploring this authors other stories in the future!
One things for certain though – I wish I lived in a town like Heartsville. -
I have to confess - I started reading this book without reading the blurb. I just saw the author, like her writing and bought this book. Now, after finishing it, I have to say - I didn't really like this 'surprise development', therefore only 3 stars.
Imagine my surprise, after finally reading the blurb, that my 'surprise development' was already announced in the blurb! This puts the whole book in another perspective - one I like even less. -
This series of five books was a pure delight to read. I've read (and loved) work by Nico Jaye, Piper Vaughn and JH Knight before, but Jayden Brookes and Cate Ashwood were new to me. I'm going to review the series as a whole, although each book is standalone and could be read that way.
What can I say? I LOVED the gayborhood. It is a series of pure delight. Easy to read, sweet without being sugary and just a teeny tiny bit of angst to add a bit of bite. This series is the pyjamas, slippers, hot chocolate combo of the book world. Pure comfort. The kind that leaves you snug and happy. I adored all of the couples and their stories and would be really hard pressed to choose a favourite!
Milo Hart of Bloom Box had a soft spot in my heart. His generosity of time and spirit warmed me and made me grin.Cate Ashwood is definitely an author I need to check out.
I loved the rocky Horror references in Unscripted, but mostly in this book I adored the brand of smuff (smut+fluff) that Nico Jaye has made her own.
What bibliophile can resist a bookshop setting? Not this one, I love stories set in book shops and a reclusive novelist. PERFECT. Piper Vaughn write romance from the soul and I love it!
Adam and Brandon in Clique, by Jayden Brookes, were adorable. Nearly as adorable as Brandon's dogs...
And JH Knight told a tale of fear and forgiveness that was just beautiful. They were all beautiful. They were exactly the kind of stories you expect them to be when you look at the gorgeous covers.
Lastly I want to say how much I loved the interaction of characters between books. Though each book focused on one couple, there are cameos from the other stories. Though subtly done so that each book can be read completely independently.
A wonderful, happy series. I cannot wait for more from Heartsville.
Review previously at bmbr.
A copy of this story was given in exchange for an honest review. -
4 Stars
By far my favorite in the series. This short story had real meat to it, it was more the a sweet, fluffy story. I enjoyed it! -
I love second chances stories and this one did not disappoint!
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3.5 stars
I really liked this one and the chemistry between Brad and Aaron. -
I liked it ok.
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3.5 stars
This is the second Heartsville book I've read and, as with the first, this was cute … but nothing earth-shattering. I was happy with how things ended up though. -
3.5 stars! A cute second chances story. I do think Aaron was too quick to forgive Brad, but still an enjoyable read. On to the next one....
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Aaron Forester is the owner of Market Street Café in Heartsville. His family didn’t always live here. They had to move after Aaron was viciously outed in high school, hundreds of pictures of he and his boyfriend kissing being planted all over. His high school life became a torrent of bullying and worry that he’d end up in the hospital or dead prompted the move. But he’s happy now in Heartsville, if a little lonely. He runs the coffee house with loyal if a little lackadaisical employees and that’s it. His sister, a force unto herself, decides it is time Aaron got out there and dated someone. A blind date someone, to be exact.
This is how Aaron meets Brad, a lovely man who clicks with Aaron right away. They have dinner, share conversation, laughs and after a bit, some amazing sex. Until Aaron wakes up the next day and Brad is conspicuously absent without a word. And that continues for days, to Aaron’s hurt. He doesn’t know what happened and of course Brad isn’t answering. In a funny turn of events, after hearing how Aaron had been treated by his date, good friend Justin wants to set him up with a blind date with, an “absolute dream”, and of course it turns out to be Brad. Aaron can’t win.
When cowardly Brad finally owns up the reason, I was pretty over him. I couldn’t understand if he felt guilty why he would put Aaron through more by his silence. I just didn’t buy his apology and I did think Aaron caved way too easily. This was a life altering event, after all.
This is a story where I enjoyed the writing very much, I just wish I had connected with Brad’s character more. -
I didn't love this short story, but it made a good enough impression that I'd be open to reading more by the author. The dialogue was particularly well done. The MC had an interfering sister who was actually an interesting character in her own right, rather than the standard-issue stereotype. *gasp* On the other hand, too much page space was devoted to an intensely annoying child. The romance didn't wow me, probably because the love interest didn't seem to have much depth. Still, I'm curious to see what JH Knight could do when not constrained by such a short page count.
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This book made me cranky. Why would the blurb reveal the point of angst when the narrative sets it up as a way to build the tension. The book would have been better if I hadn't known Brad's secret.
I appreciate Aaron's attempts to leave Brad alone, and not go pleading for an explanation. He has a nice sister too, hasn't he??
It's nicely written and very enjoyable (except for the above point). -
Another light and fluffy read in the Heartsville Universe. 3.5 stars. -
A very sweet and lovely story
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This is my favorite of the Heartsville series so far! I've loved the glimpses we had of Aaron in the other books, he seemed like such a great, genuine guy so it was nice to have him live up to expectations! I thought Brad was pretty awesome too, but in the back of my head I was worried about what had happened back in high school and how that was going to be explained in a way that, not only Aaron, but the reader as well, would be able to forgive Brad. They were really cute and sweet together so I was really hoping for things to work out for them.
I liked how things ended up being resolved- it was believable, not drawn out and not too "convenient". Aaron and Brad deserved each other.
Aaron's sister Mandy is too cool, I'd love to see her get a book!
***Borrowed through KU. -
Hmmm. The blurb does give everything away but I don't mind that because it keeps the story low angst.
This is a decent read and the most interesting thing about it is the idea why we are cruel when we are young.
The romance is lack luster because the book kind of ends when the real relationship would begin.
Still a great setting and cast. -
I do believe I would love living in Heartsville. ‘Another Shot’ was a wonderful, romantic, gentle, and very sweet love story. I liked the way the author handled the drama portion in a very realistic manner. Brad and Aaron are adorable together and I really enjoyed this!
