| Title | : | A Very D Christmas (Zero at the Bone, #1.4) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 40 |
| Publication | : | First published December 22, 2010 |
A Very D Christmas (Zero at the Bone, #1.4) Reviews
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It's not that I dislike these follow-ups to Zero at the Bone. It's that they unnerve me.
This novel is on my Unforgettable shelf, and these shorties don't add to my idea of a HEA; you know the one where everyone rides off into the sunset?
Damn, I know life is about laundry and time apart and juggling work with free time and the day-to-day grind, but I don't want to read about it!
This one didn't even focus on D and Jack but on a bit of family drama involving D's newly found sister and her son. And there was no real resolution to anything (including the drama with the nephew). No lovin' either. I give it three stars because...it's D, and it's Jack, and I must persevere.
But is it selfish to want more? Can't they take a vacation and fuck on the beach? Please. -
Oh yeah, calling the sister who considered you dead and she's convinced just by a phone call that you're her dead brother? And what does she say? "glad you called, by my daughter has a soccer game-bye" O.O
The family reunion is only DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA. Inadequate for a first meeting. Merle looks stupid and Martin's a dick.
This is a story about D's family, not Jack and D! And it doesn't look like there's gonna be a sequel. Last book was written in 2010 :/ -
3.5 stars.****Merry Christmas, Jack & D!
[image error] -
Just makes me think it's time to reread
Zero at the Bone - I love D. -
"What was that for?"
"Just- you know. I love you."
Jack coked his eyebrow. "Who are you, and what have you done with D?"
He snorted. "Can't a guy get mushy once in awhile?"
"Not without said boyfriend getting suspicious."
Cute Christmas read continuing D and Jacks story. It includes love, family and support when needed. LOVED IT!! -
Family drama and more a lesson on bullies than any relationship progress. The problem with these extras is that while the book leaves them starting a life together these highlight all the issues and clouds the HEA.
Pretty sure D's ex-wife had a name change and it struck me that D's sister who largely brought him up doesn't speak with the same strange accent he does! -
4 Stars
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It was nice to see D get some family but this was a bit meh for me.
For one D called his ex wife Sheila and I'm pretty sure her name was Sharon.
I think the idea of highlighting bullying was really admirable but I'm not sure it worked for D and Jack's story and nothing seemed to be resolved. Plus side though, D and Jack weren't fighting in this and there they were kinda cute.
"You’re family, you’re gay…”
“Kinda.”
“You’re kinda gay? Is that like being a little bit pregnant?”
“Well – I’m not exactly waving rainbow flags over here.”
“You don’t have to be. Are you sexually attracted to men?”
D harrumphed. “To you.”
“Don’t bullshit me, D. You’re not fooling anybody that you watched Fight Club six times in a week to ponder the nihilistic subtext.”
He had him there. Brad Pitt had some goddamned abs in that movie. “All right, yeah.”
He is not wrong!!!! -
I've read
Zero at the Bone quite a few times but not for at least a year. It was nice getting back to Jack and D and seeing how far D has come from the ice cold killer to a man who's openly gay. Since this short story deals with D getting reacquainted with his sister and her family, it was sweet and special.
This short actually deals with two things. D finally getting in touch with the only family he has left and dealing with some issues D's thirteen year old nephew, Jesse, goes through.
It's a sweet, cute story that made me feel like I was getting closer to D and seeing more of who he's become because of Jack's careful attentions as well as seeing Jack mother-hen over D. It's a nice story, a bit too short, but I still enjoyed it. -
I finished Zero today and read the three freebies and immediately bought this one too.
I liked the whole setting, the subtle way Jack pushed D to make contact with his sister despite his fears. I loved how the whole bullying-thing was handled, the issue is important, whether you just look at it as bullying or bullying with the word 'fag' used as a weapon or gay bullying... Yeah, important subject.
Another thing I really respect Jane Seville for is how she portrayed the religion in this story. I'm an agnostic and I really have very little patience or understanding for religion these days, being a memeber of the GLBTQ-community myself. So yes, this is how those things should be portrayed like, neutrally enough so that nobody gets too offended. For once I didn't, and that's a minor miracle in itself.
Anyways, I loved how it was handled. Realistic through and through. Also, the little things we found out about D's childhood and past and the man he's become... I think the love the author has for her characters is so palpable... As a writer I'm envious. I want to be able to create a character like D. Someone everyone else will love too, no matter what he used to do for living.
If you loved Zero, this is a must read. Also, the slight promise of a sequel at the end of the story... That's a late christmas present right there. :) -
Cut read love D & Jack the sister was annoying though!
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Just ok. The ending was disappointing. I wanted more action to solve a problem.
STORY BRIEF:
The story starts after the book “Zero at the Bone.” D has not spoken to his sister Merle for many years. Jack pressures him to call her. D is surprised that Merle is happy to hear from him and missed him. Merle invites D and Jack to visit her for Christmas. They do. While there they discover that Merle’s son Jesse is being beaten by bullies.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I like the author’s writing style. I like being in this world of D and Jack. I love the characters D and Jack. But I had two problems: not enough plot and too short. It took me 45 minutes to read. At the end I was disappointed that the bully situation was not resolved. I wanted to see some kind of harm or fear happen to the bullies. I was hoping D or someone would do something neat, but that didn’t happen. Maybe it was a true-to-life kind of answer and a good answer, but it wasn’t fun for a fiction story. A discussion of “possible things to do” is all that happened.
A small part of the story shows unexpected acceptance of gay people in church which was nice. Because I loved “Zero at the Bone,” I’ve read every vignette on the author’s website plus this, and I’m glad she wrote them. Even though this was less than I had hoped, I still plan to read whatever she writes next about these guys.
DATA:
Ebook story length: 45 minutes. Kindle count story length: 1091. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Published 2010. Genre: gay male fiction. -
2012 Review:
As grateful as I am to Jane Seville for giving me further material to decompress with, it kind of failed.
These shorts seem to mostly be a little depressing, actually. Yeah, Jack and D are hanging in there and trying to make the relationship work, but it seriously crumbles. And we don’t really get resolution for these issues either. In one of the stories it gets to the point of Jack just because the situation with D’s absences frustrates him. And then he does not tell him about the incident. It’s… tough. For me.
So those three very brief freebie stories were not exactly joyful.
Embarrassing lapse there in the only for-sale and novella-sized story of these, the fourth: D referring to his deceased wife by the wrong name. D’s brother also suffered a mysterious name change. WTF? Perhaps most disappointingly, D’s charming accent is almost entirely missing from that one. Boo.
So yeah. The actual book itself provided a much better goodbye than the follow-ups, but it’s okay. At least the final one did not leave me demoralized. :D -
“And yeah, I know it’s kinda
fucked up that she’d pick me to talk to him.”
Jack flushed, caught out in the thought. “No, of course it isn’t. You’re family, you’re gay…”
“Kinda.”
“You’re kinda gay? Is that like being a little bit pregnant?”
“Well – I’m not exactly waving rainbow flags over here.”
“You don’t have to be. Are you sexually attracted to men?”
D harrumphed. “To you.”
“Don’t bullshit me, D. You’re not fooling anybody that you watched Fight Club six times in a
week to ponder the nihilistic subtext.”
He had him there. Brad Pitt had some goddamned abs in that movie. “All right, yeah.”
Just the story you need for Christmas (ok 2 months before Christmas), short, ridiculously adorable and funny. I loved it. -
A quick short where we get to catch up with Jack and D. This short was well planned and executed well. It took an important topic and treated it with realistic writing. The author really showed just how hard it can be to find the proper answers for parents of a bullied child.
Jack and D going to church was also done in a caring way.
I am definitely glad that I finally gave in and purchased this. I just wish the sequel would become available, as I would love more D. (More Jack wouldn't be bad either.) -
Anche se il clima non collide, è stato bello leggere di D e Jack in salsa natalizia, tra cene di Natale, messe impreviste, problemi di famiglia – una famiglia appena ritrovata.
La sorella di D è adorabile ed è commovente il loro abbraccio dopo tanti anni.
Ho amato il confronto zio-nipote, e la solita gentilezza di Jack: la sua sensibilità è ammirevole.
Eh, un po’ di dolceamaro c’è, ma l’affetto trionfa. Vorrei solo avere altre di queste avventure da leggere… -
A very D Christmas it's another short story from Zero at Bone series when D reunites with his sister Merle with Jack's help. As usual Jack wants D to be happy and he knows he misses his sister and he finds her for him but now it's up to D to make the first step and Jack won't stop nagging D till he calls her, in special when she lives so close to them.
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It's Christmas time for D and Jack and Jack is pressuring D to contact his sister. I loved this little look into the everyday part of their relationship. D is so cute struggling to deal with being reintroduced to his family and learning how to be "normal" again. Or at least as normal as D is ever going to be. Watching D lean on Jack to help him through things is so great. He's really growing as a person. I loved Jesse's attitude as well. Quite a little bit of backbone in there for someone stuck dealing with bullies. Gives me faith he'll get through it all right. Growly D wanting to protect his nephew and take the bullies out back was just plain adorable. Almost wish Jack had let him do it. All in all a great bonus Christmas story about reconnecting with family and the pressures of being a teenager.
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I honestly don't think I could ever get tired of reading about Jack and D. There relationship is so different that it keeps you interested for every situation that comes up because you want to see how they will react to it. This book was a more heartfelt story than the first book, it touched on some family matters. If you are a Jack and D fan, this short book won't disappoint. Happy Reading!
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I just love this series. This was a great little heart-warming Christmas short that deals with some real issues. I'm so happy we got to meet D's sister and I can't wait for more of D and Jack! Seville says she'll try to post a new short-story on her website every month!
$1.99 on
http://www.janesevillebooks.com/ -
Very good short m/m holiday romance about D and Jack from
Zero at the Bone, reconnecting with family, and being a bullied teenager. -
This is a short story that shows a softer side of D. He gets to spend Christmas Eve with family he's not seen in a very long time. He has an opportunity to help a family member. It's a sweet story with no sex.
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I thought D's wife's name was Sharon not Sheila. I wish D had kicked that bully's ass or put the fear of God in him.
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I love these 2 guys.
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This short story didn’t only focus on Jack and D, well it did, kind off, but it mostly focused on family and day-to-day life and teenager struggling and of course D getting back in touch with his only living relative: his sister Merle.
I just loved the whole setting, even though it’s not Christmas time this short story made me feel all Christmassy and stuff all over again and I loved how Jack actually pushed D to finally make contact with his sister despite all his fears and doubts. It makes my heart melt to see that D, the former hit man who killed quite a few people, slowly becomes the man he was before all the bad things in his life have happened. He’s changed so much, mostly because of Jack and the way he loves him for that and starts to love himself is the cutest and most heart warming thing ever.
Although I really love all those hot sexy scenes with Jack and D, I LOVED that this short story actually wasn’t only about Jack and D. It includes a couple of very cute kisses, sweet conversations, affection but I thought it was such a great idea to bring up such important topics like bullying in school and the struggle finding yourself. I loved how the whole bullying-thing was handled, this subject is so important and even though I would have loved to see D all angry and pissed I love how they found quite a good solution without – you know – killing someone or something haha
“Goddamn. Who’d beat up a nice kid like Jesse?”
“My guess is a bully. Some knuckle-draggers at school. They don’t need much of a reason. And don’t start getting all Darth Vader about this, I see that face you’re making.”
“That’s my regular face. And what’s this Darth Vader shit?”
“You’re plotting to choke the life out of the kid who beat up your nephew.” D snorted. “Whoever this kid is, he don’t know from bullies. I’ll show him a fucking bully.”
“I empathize, but it isn’t our place go around fighting Jesse’s battles for him. That could just make it worse.”
D sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, well – I find your lack of faith disturbing.” Jack laughed. “Ah, D. Your pop culture lexicon continues to improve. Soon your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete.”
I also really respect Jane Seville for how she portrayed the whole religion thing in this short story.
This story was very realistic through and through. I also loved how we found out a little bit more about D and Jack’s past, about their childhood, and especially what man D has finally become.
D is such an amazing character, Jane Seville definitely can be so proud of herself that she created such a great character; even though he’s done so many bad things, everyone loves him because he’s willing to change his life, mostly because of Jack; mostly because of the man he fell in love with due to some not so fun circumstances though.
I was dying to read this last short story about D and Jack, I swear I couldn’t wait and again read it at the gym being on the treadmill. Although this short story covered some not so funny issues some parts where still funny and I almost died laughing on the treadmill. I swear I love Jane Seville and her writing and her humour and she needs to write more books, especially does she need to write a Zero at the Bone sequel. It’s been so long since Zero at the Bone was published though and I’m afraid that it might be too late to hope for a sequel that maybe she isn’t even interested in writing one anymore but I won’t give up that hope. Never will I because Zero at the Bone is hands down one of the best books I’ve ever read in my life and it definitely became one of my favorites and so did the short stories and I just need more. I need more D and Jack, even if it was just a book about their daily life as a couple. I wouldn’t mind. I’d give all my money to have a second and maybe even a third and a fourth and a fifth book.
Here’s one scene that made me laugh so hard I swear. It’s the cutest and funniest thing:
“That’s what she thought.” Jack nodded, his brow furrowing and his mouth making confused little twisting motions. D smirked, recognizing the expression – it was his I’m trying to figure out how to say something in a way that doesn’t insult you face. “And yeah, I know it’s kinda fucked up that she’d pick me to talk to him.”
Jack flushed, caught out in the thought. “No, of course it isn’t. You’re family, you’re gay...”
“Kinda.”
“You’re kinda gay? Is that like being a little bit pregnant?”
“Well – I’m not exactly waving rainbow flags over here.”
“You don’t have to be. Are you sexually attracted to men?”
D harrumphed. “To you.”
“Don’t bullshit me, D. You’re not fooling anybody that you watched Fight Club six times in a week to ponder the nihilistic subtext.”
He had him there. Brad Pitt had some goddamned abs in that movie. “All right, yeah.”
“You’re gay. Full stop. You’re living with a man, you’re out, you’re...you know, doing it.”
“Doing what?”
“Living the life of a gay man. Living in the world.”
“Oh. I thought you meant – well, doing it.”
And yes, I absolutely have to agree with D, Brad Pitt DID have some goddammned abs in that movie. He’s got a great taste in man, obviously haha
Jack and D and their whole story is so precious I just can’t. PLEASE GIVE ME MORE! -
I don't know the author's circumstances, but considering this is the last piece we get to read of D and Jack, maybe forever, it didn't satisfy me at all.
I expected a much more intimate Christmas, maybe D finally proposing, or Jack doing something like that, or some other big event that leaves me feeling content with where these two precious boys are.
Instead we spend the entire time with the sister and her family - people who I don't know and don't care about. I don't wanna share my last night with D and Jack with anyone, even if it is D's long lost sister.
It isn't terrible or anything, and it might be the author never added a proper ending for D and Jack or D's occupation because she intended to write a sequel. But with nothing in sight, this is a pretty bad spot to end it on. -
I don't know why I keep reading those shorts... I guess I just can't get enough of Jack and D .
This part didn't add much to their relationship and was a bit detached from the main topic of the other Zero shorts, but... For D it was definitely something important to reconnect with his family 😉👍
I only didn't like that Jesse's issue wasn't solved, like, at all!
That's the last short, guys! -
I’m so sad that a proper sequel hasn’t yet come out for one of my favorite all-time m/m stories. That being said, I did very much enjoy this little Christmas snippet. I think I was hoping for some true D kick-ass resolution to the issue of his little nephew being bullied, but I guess that’s where Jack’s influence comes into the mix. Glad D reunited with his remaining family and still hoping for that sequel (just sayin’)!!!
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Jack and D are settled and happy. Christmas is around the corner and D gets in contact with his sister who invites them over for Christmas. A few bumps on the road, but it really as sweet as a Christmas story is supposed to be. No crazy car chases, shootings or real violence, but a sweet awkward family reunion.
I really liked to revisit the settled couple and really wish there was a sequel on the horizon. But since this was published 10 years ago, I think that will never happen. -
Knocked a star for the phrase "Down's Syndrome boy".
This story didn't develop Jack and D much. That happened in the first third of the book. After that, it's all about D's sister's kid being bullied.
Overall, a bit disappointed with these short stories. Again, I can't help but compare to The Summer Palace, where Damen and Laurent are blissfully happy, but mindful of the past, and they still get some character development in.
