Handle with Care

Apr 29, 2012 Hannah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks-i-own, male-male-romance, romance, read-2012, contemporary, novella

While Handle with Care had a promising little romance at its core, it had an unfinished feeling. Novella-length stories can work well without feeling incomplete, but this one definitely lacked something. It needed more plot, more conflict, and more character development. I felt like I was reading an early draft of a novel instead of a finished work.

There was very little conflict in this novel, except for a few contrived misunderstandings between the main characters that always seemed to be glos...more

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May 06, 2012 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Mandy*reads obsessively* by: Anke

Shelves: m-m, hurt-comfort-disability

3.5-4*

When I first started this book, I thought I knew what was coming, but I was wrong! :)
It was a nice, enjoyable read and far more upbeat than I thought it would be! :)
(view spoiler)...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Katharina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Handle with Care is not what I expected beforehand. I thought it would be much more angsty, more dramatic, the characters more ... well, damaged if you so will. It definitely had the potential what with the main characters being a man in his thirties living his life with a strict dialysis regimen and diabetes and not being able to do all that much physically, and a twenty-year old skater punk who is disconnected from his family and was expected to play houseboy for his much older ex-boyfriend fo...more Handle with Care is not what I expected beforehand. I thought it would be much more angsty, more dramatic, the characters more ... well, damaged if you so will. It definitely had the potential what with the main characters being a man in his thirties living his life with a strict dialysis regimen and diabetes and not being able to do all that much physically, and a twenty-year old skater punk who is disconnected from his family and was expected to play houseboy for his much older ex-boyfriend for years before finally cutting all strings.
As it happens, despite all that, it was a remarkably light-hearted read, not making light of the situations or illnesses but adding enough self-irony and humour to give a good feeling about it. And I loved that! Maybe it's the typical British flavour on almost every page or the fact that although all characters in this story were far from perfect, made mistakes, false assumptions, behaved pig-headed or just plainly stubborn at some point or other, but always tried to make up their mistakes without wasting time, but I found the story just lovely.

(view spoiler)

The ending is satisfying as it is, but I'd definitely like to know how things work out for Ben and Ollie in the future! Overall, a delightful read!
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Mar 22, 2013 Jon added it · review of another edition

Handle With Care –

Review by Jon Michaelsen

Ben Lethbridge, a thirty-something man has lived the life, albeit a little too much. After having raised his little sister to adulthood following his parents death, he spent a couple years making up for lost time and partying it up with the best, however ignoring his diabetes. The result has left him tired and weak since his body has betrayed him, ultimately confining him to his home dealing with a regular dialysis regimen while awaiting a transplant. A...more Handle With Care –

Review by Jon Michaelsen

Ben Lethbridge, a thirty-something man has lived the life, albeit a little too much. After having raised his little sister to adulthood following his parents death, he spent a couple years making up for lost time and partying it up with the best, however ignoring his diabetes. The result has left him tired and weak since his body has betrayed him, ultimately confining him to his home dealing with a regular dialysis regimen while awaiting a transplant. All doesn’t result in a terrible existence however, as Ben is able to continue working from home and enjoy a few pleasures in life, but most of his favorite activities are now forbidden to him…except for his love for DVD porn.

He soon begins fantasizing about the DVD delivery guy, Ollie, a gorgeous young man with an interesting personal statement in hairstyle who is also a skateboarder. When a delivered package accidently splits open, the delivery boy discovers Ben’s secret – and his sexuality.
Meanwhile, Ben has resigned himself to only being able to flirt with the young man as surely, a twenty year old would not be the least bit interested in a thirty-three year old man with an illness-ravaged body. Still, Ben is encouraged enough with their light, flirty banter to begin taking care of his appearance.

Handle with Care is a light, sweet contemporary m/m romance with likeable characters facing every day challenges, each with their own back-story, er baggage. The author takes baby-steps in building the relationship between the two, tossing errant tests the two must overcome. Though facing a very touch illness, Ben is the stronger of the two, a somewhat reluctant father-figure who much help Ollie to realize his understanding of a “relationship” based on past experiences is not all there is – or can be.

Author Josephine Myles slowing reveals emotions driving the actions of both Ben & Ollie, through their first meeting, innocent flirting and their big misunderstanding, the catalyst for the angst in the novel, though simple at best.

For those looking for a light male/male romance, sweet and easy read with a happy ending, Handle with Care is for you.

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Apr 30, 2012 Arthur rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the hands of some other writers, this book would have been an angst porn. If not an angst orgy. The very symbolic title, referring to Ollie's occupation as well as their relationship and respective heart, tells us all.

(view spoiler)...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Kukko rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kukko by: Sarah

Shelves: mm-pick-for-me, 1-app-kindle, a-contemporary, a-romance, character-tech-guy, character-delivery-boy, sex-mix-m-m, z-abuse, z-disability, z-homeless, z-2013

Stomach-churning MM romance between a diabetic tech guy with kidney failure (Ben) and a delivery boy with big dreams (Ollie).

There is a lot of graphic detail about Ben's daily dialysis routine and as much as I took it as a warning and prayed that no one I know ever develops kidney disease….I just wish some of the details had been left to the imagination, especially since it negatively affected how I visualized the two MCs making out.

I also felt that the flow of the writing was generally a bit s...more

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May 05, 2012 Lily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mm-romance, friends-to-lovers

I greatly enjoy Josephine Myles' books and not just because of the UK settings... Her plots tend to be unusual and the characters always tug at my heart. This story was no exception, but I did feel throughout reading it that plenty of potential was left underdeveloped - especially the protagonists' emotional issues or scars. These seem to be either surpassed very quickly to be believable (for me at least) or hardly touched upon in the couple's communication. Such a dimension could have given the...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Ery rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Handle with Care, the author takes an interesting step into an area not typically covered in m/m romance. Illness is generally avoided in this genre, and if it is addressed, it is usually off page. Here, the author tackles this story head-on, making it central to the story line. For that, I applaud the author. And although my knowledge in this area is limited, the author appeared knowledgeable and with but a few minor quibbles, did a great job of projecting the medical reality without draggin...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jun 05, 2012 Cryselle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 rounded to 5

Josephine Myles is an autobuy author for me, and once again she has demonstrated why. Her latest novel, Handle With Care, delicately explores a budding relationship between a thirty-three year old kidney patient and the much younger parcel delivery man who brings the his nearly daily fixes of porn.

Ben Lethbridge has paid for his excesses with his health—a diabetic and already at risk for problems, he took a few too many chances. Now he has to schedule his life around the bottles...more 4.5 rounded to 5

Josephine Myles is an autobuy author for me, and once again she has demonstrated why. Her latest novel, Handle With Care, delicately explores a budding relationship between a thirty-three year old kidney patient and the much younger parcel delivery man who brings the his nearly daily fixes of porn.

Ben Lethbridge has paid for his excesses with his health—a diabetic and already at risk for problems, he took a few too many chances. Now he has to schedule his life around the bottles of dialysis solution that slosh around his abdomen, keeping him alive. He’s in the horrible position of waiting for a kidney transplant, knowing that it means a tragedy for someone else.

Ollie shows up with packages every day or two—Ben buys a lot of porn to make up for the sex he doesn’t get any more. Between his chronic condition and his guilt, he’s so not in the market for a relationship that both Ollie and his sister have to bat him over the head to get Ben to realize Ollie’s interested.

Ollie’s a bundle of contradictions, both bold enough to go for what he wants and insecure enough to believe that his role is only to serve. He barely knows what a healthy relationship between equals looks like, and he needs a little guidance to find it, not that Ben’s such an expert. Together they bumble into something that works for them.

Both of these men have some big issues, and very-manlike, they don’t talk until the relationship landmines have already gone off, and sometimes not even then. Ben’s health throws more spanners in the works—surgery for a new kidney keeps him from being able to have sex for a long time, which at least allows them to get to know each other.

Both men have some real and serious issues that are revealed only gradually—it’s hard for Ben to know how he’s put his foot in his mouth because he knows so little about Ollie at first. Certain things really offend him, but Ben doesn’t know why, and it doesn’t help that Ollie’s first reaction is to run away rather than fight. Both characters have their prickles, but there is a happy ending for them. The final clearing of the air brings some closure to a number of issues in Ben and Ollie’s past, and you just know they’ll make it.

Josephine Myles’ language is British without drowning in slang, so the book has definite flavor of place, and her storytelling unrolls the men’s secrets with nice pacing. The one problem I had was that the conflict relied on Ollie refusing to talk about things as much as that Ben and Ollie simply don’t know each other and can find all the sore spots by accident. It’s not a Big Misunderstanding, but there is a series of Medium Misunderstandings that each could scuttle the relationship. Between Ben being oblivious and Ollie being less than forthcoming, they have a lot of opportunities to vex each other.

Ben’s sister Zoe had significant face time—Ben raised her after their parents died, and the relationship between them is extremely important to the story. She’s both urging Ben to take a good long look at Ollie and then distressed by the relationship when he does. Some beautifully drawn doubts and fears there—she grows as much as Ollie and Ben do.

Living with a chronic health problem and its effect on finding love has been done, but not often done this well—Ben’s renal failure is deep characterization and not a surface gloss. He can do little, even starting a porn movie, without considering what part of his treatment cycle he’s in. We don’t see Ollie as clearly—so much of Ben’s attention is focused inward while just trying to stay alive, which both makes sense and feels like a gap. Ollie is adorable and definitely needs big squishy hugs. Ben had better provide them or he’ll hear from at least one reader with a big stick!
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May 06, 2012 Tam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

This was a delightful read that covers something you don’t see very often, someone awaiting an organ transplant, and the aftermath of the life-saving surgery. Ben is waiting for his turn for a new kidney and pancreas. However rather than use a traditional dialysis machine, he has this process with fluid in his stomach. I definitely learned something new here. Anyway, medical details aside, Ben was a great character. He could have been morose and depressed given that he could no longer work full-...more This was a delightful read that covers something you don’t see very often, someone awaiting an organ transplant, and the aftermath of the life-saving surgery. Ben is waiting for his turn for a new kidney and pancreas. However rather than use a traditional dialysis machine, he has this process with fluid in his stomach. I definitely learned something new here. Anyway, medical details aside, Ben was a great character. He could have been morose and depressed given that he could no longer work full-time, nor do other activities most of us take for granted, however, part of his way of coping is by purchasing porn on-line and having it delivered, in large part so he can ogle the cute delivery guy.

There is a lot of material covered here, including Ben’s younger life, where he took on raising his little sister at the age of 18 when their parents died, and then the resulting “boys gone wild” stage, once she was out of the house that in part led to his current physical problems. But I didn’t find there were info dumps, it was all rather seamlessly woven in as he interacted with his sister and thought about his life as he waited for a kidney.

Ollie was one of those perky punky characters that appeal to me. He was upbeat and despite having a less than ideal childhood he had a plan and was working toward that. It was obvious he had a thing for older guys and for taking care of people, and you find out how deep that runs a bit later, but he was just a joy to read. It was also nice how he forced Ben to stop being so negative and to focus on what he had rather than always doubting himself. He was also suitably his age, of 20, being aghast that going a week or more without sex would be normal. Ah, the enthusiasm of youth.

I was a bit leery of the sister character at first. She’s a bit clingy and sadly, I saw this happen in extended family, but it didn’t end so well, as in this story. However, once Ben kind of laid things out there, she lightened up and was much more supportive, so she didn’t turn into that female character in m/m I loathe. I was also curious about Ollie. You only get Ben’s perspective and what Ollie shared, but he seemed very curious, if not outright turned on, but the whole medical situation, and I always wondered where that kind of a kink comes from.

So another successful story from this author who never fails to resonate with me. Even though some may find this story has a more serious theme than some of her other other works, it doesn’t come across as dark and depressing at all, and still has much of the trademark humour that keeps readers like myself coming back for more. And hey, I learned something when I read it, so that’s never a bad thing to be educated AND entertained. I recommend you pick this one up and give it a go.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Kazza rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 STARS.

Josephine Myles always writes a nice story. Handle with Care fits into that category.

I liked Ollie, wanted a bit more about his background, it was a bit lacking. He was sweet, he was caring, he was fun, although he couldn't handle conflict terribly well (one thing I would have liked explored a bit more in depth).

Ben was a fairly likeable character too. He had partied hard, after raising his sister, Zoe, and his diabetic body suffered. He knew he punished his body and took responsilbity...more

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May 01, 2012 oceankitty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 stars

Contemporary is not my forte, but I still read it as long as its written by my favorite authors or the blurb catches my notice in a special way. There has to be something in there to trigger my heart though, which is very much into play when it comes to M/M fiction.

Josephine Myles has become an auto buy for me, as I can always trust her to write good stories. When Handle With Care came to my notice I immediately caught on to the main character's hopeless situation; being on dialysis an...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Becky Mrs Condit Reads Books rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

HANDLE WITH CARE is a character-driven novel. The plot is a wrapper for the characters, one of whom is Ben, a thirty-three year old software designer seriously ill with kidney failure and diabetes and the other of whom is Ollie, a twenty-year-old purple-haired twink who was abused as a teenager (he doesn’t think of it as abuse) and is now trying to build his life around his own internal strengths and interests. The story is told in first-person from Ben’s perspective.
I loved that Ben never saw h...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Heidi Cullinan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

Bought this on pre-order and squealed when I saw it appear on my kindle last night. Myles has become an auto-buy and she didn't disappoint. My only complaint is that I read too fast and the books should be longer so it takes longer. Either that or she like many people need to write faster!

Book is uber cute and thought provoking. Kidney transplant hero? Skate punk twink boyfriend? Why yes, it was lovely, thank you, I'll have another.

***Edited after I read other comments/reviews***

So, I know I don...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, romance

This book is a bit different to some of the other books I've read by this author - for a start there are no canals featured in this story :) and the tone was perhaps a little more subdued than some of her other books. This isn't a bad thing, in fact I liked the change of tone and pace.

The story follows Ben, who went off the rails a little when younger and caused a major kidney failure. His day to day life is severely restricted as he has to adhere to a strict regime of filling his body with dial...more This book is a bit different to some of the other books I've read by this author - for a start there are no canals featured in this story :) and the tone was perhaps a little more subdued than some of her other books. This isn't a bad thing, in fact I liked the change of tone and pace.

The story follows Ben, who went off the rails a little when younger and caused a major kidney failure. His day to day life is severely restricted as he has to adhere to a strict regime of filling his body with dialysate fluid and then removing it when the toxins in his body are leached into the fluid. He waits for a donor but in the meantime he is easily tired and rarely leaves the house. To cheer himself up, Ben buys a number of porn DVDs which are delivered by the same cute, purple haired delivery guy each time. An accident leads to them getting to know one another but Ben is convinced that Ollie can't possibly find him attractive.

In many ways this is Ben's book. He's the narrator and most of the plot revolves around him. We do get some insight into Ollie's life, especially as the book progresses, but most of the time our sympathies are with Ben. It's very hard not to like Ben. His wild living may have been the cause of his current situation, but there's a definite reason why he behaved as he did in the past, and the way he is paying for his past behaviour now seems very unfair to the poor man. The Ben we meet at the beginning is a shadow of his former self. I liked that Ben gives us occasional glimpses into the confident and sexy man he feels he used to be, as it gives the reader hope that he will be able to regain that confidence later. At the beginning though, Ben has a strong sense of self hatred and disgust, not just over his past actions, but the way that has changed his body image. He hates what the dialysis does to him, hates the catheter which feeds into his abdomen, hates that he is so physically weak. It takes Ollie's obvious attraction to gradually pull Ben out of his funk. I loved that Ollie is attracted to Ben's hairy body and even has a bit of a fetish for his catheter.

Another part that I liked was the way that Ben's kidney failure is shown. It's not gory or too full of medical details, which I assume may put people off, but rather gives us some physical information and instead focuses more on the emotional impact for Ben. We also see how Ben copes with the day to day living with the illness and the effect it has not only on his confidence but also his job. Part of his coping with the illness is reflected in the way his relationship with his sister has changed. I liked the part of the book which dealt with her coping with further change as Ben's relationship with Ollie becomes an important part of Ben's life.

The relationship between Ben and Ollie isn't smooth going, something else I liked about the book. Ben's not been practicing his social skills too much whilst ill and so he often puts his foot in it. Add that to the volatile temper of the much younger Ollie, who tends to take off and hide when he gets upset, and there's some growing to do for both characters. Because Ben is almost confined to his flat, it gives the book quite a static feel and much of the progression in the story is through character interaction, and Ben's own internal dialogue. This worked for me because I like books like that, but some readers may find it a little too slow moving at times.

You may think the theme of Ben's illness and his lack of self esteem would make this a depressing book. Actually it isn't at all. Ben has a healthy wry sense of humour and a sense of the ridiculous and his narrative goes a long way to giving the book a light feel, despite what could be seen as some heavy themes. There are some laugh out loud moments and a lot of times when the reader is invited to smile, or even laugh, at the expense of Ben who often misreads situations. The gnome loving old lady next door made me smile a number of times, as did the scary pregnant wife of Ollie's friend.

Overall, I really liked this book. It didn't shy away from the realities of living with duff kidneys, but it also went straight to the heart of Ben. He may be a victim of his past misbehaviour and thoughtlessness, but he makes up for that in spades in his relationship with his sister and Ollie. If you're looking for a story with a different angle, and like characters who have a large age gap, then this book could be for you and I highly recommend it (less)

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Apr 24, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guiltypleasures-gennieg, publishersent, samahinreview

Gennie's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Handle with Care by Josephine Myles is a really sweet story. Ben is a great guy who, at the age of 18, stepped up to the plate to take care of his baby sister (twelve years his junior) when their parents were killed in a car wreck. Ben worked hard and made a good life for Zoe and himself, but the one drawback was Ben’s diabetes. However, he kept that under control for Zoe’s sake, but when she moved out, Ben decided to party and do all the things he didn’...more Gennie's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

Handle with Care by Josephine Myles is a really sweet story. Ben is a great guy who, at the age of 18, stepped up to the plate to take care of his baby sister (twelve years his junior) when their parents were killed in a car wreck. Ben worked hard and made a good life for Zoe and himself, but the one drawback was Ben’s diabetes. However, he kept that under control for Zoe’s sake, but when she moved out, Ben decided to party and do all the things he didn’t get to do as a young adult, which included not being responsible about his own health and wellbeing.

Fast-forward and we find a 33 year old Ben living with the consequences of his actions. Ben is on dialysis and awaiting both a kidney and pancreas transplant and has been for the past two years. The only highlights to his rather dim, stay at home life are visits from his sister and the delivery guy who brings Ben his daily dose of porn. The delivery guy’s name is Ollie and he is a most easily described as a young skater. Turns out that Ollie is also gay and is a sci-fi and comic book nerd. We also learn that Ollie is a rather gifted artist who dreams of owning his own café.

The problem for Ben is that he feels he is not a good catch because of his medical condition and because he’s at least ten years older than Ollie. Eventually Ollie breaks down the walls that Ben has constructed, only to have a rather major setback. I don’t want to spoil the story, but the rest of the book moves rather fast with both characters having some major turning points.

This book is told from the first person of Ben and while there were times I would have liked to know what was going on in Ollie’s head, I don’t feel like I missed out because all my questions were answered. This book is set in contemporary Reading, England and there are lots of fun little phrases I learned or I guess I should say inferred their meanings. For example, I think going out on the pull means going out on the town or clubbing. I like the think I learn something from my fictional reading habit :) Ms. Myles is a good author and I really enjoy her style. I look forward to her next tale of quirky English boys and the guys they find to love!(less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novella, bookie-nookies-erotic-lending-group, m-m, contemporary-romance, disability

Hmm, this was good, although not quite as good as it could have been. I dunno, I wanted to feel a connection with these guys SO badly, but it just fell a little flat.

Things progressed a little too quickly for me, both in their relationship and in their lives in general. Can you really open a business from scratch in under a month?!? An organ transplant, let alone two, is very serious and I would think it would take more than a month to fully recover from.

A lot of their relationship development...more Hmm, this was good, although not quite as good as it could have been. I dunno, I wanted to feel a connection with these guys SO badly, but it just fell a little flat.

Things progressed a little too quickly for me, both in their relationship and in their lives in general. Can you really open a business from scratch in under a month?!? An organ transplant, let alone two, is very serious and I would think it would take more than a month to fully recover from.

A lot of their relationship development seemed to have happened 'off screen' so to speak. Like Ben's sister revealing his big secret (view spoiler), I wanted to see Ollie's initial reaction! And Ben telling Ollie that his parents died and he raised Zoe alone, Ollie just knew that somehow apparently without ever needing that conversation. I love novella's, but in this case it seemed like important conversations were edited out.

Their first two fights Ollie just walked out. I was getting really annoyed with how immature he was and how unable to express his feelings Ben was. To be fair, they did end up finally having a real discussion and admitting they needed to communicate better, but it just never felt fully resolved (view spoiler).

And there seemed to be a lot that was left unresolved (view spoiler) Maybe reading Ollie's POV as well would have helped to feel a deeper connection between these guys. Maybe I needed them to develop a more clear friendship instead of going right from flirty-delivery-boy/customer to boyfriends. I dunno. I liked it, I just didn't love it.

Borrowed from Vicki for Swingers Challenge in Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group(less)

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May 07, 2012 Bee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hero-with-disability, kindle, m-m, passion-erotica, romance, survival, high-sugar-content

This was really sweet. I honestly expected there to be at least some angst, but it was just sweetness through and through. And that was quite alright with me.

Ben was forced to grow up quickly. His parents died when he was eighteen and he had to pull himself together in order to take care of his younger sister. When she finally became old enough to move away from home he tried to make up for his “lost youth” and overdid it quite a lot. His lifelong diabetes was after an unfortunate drug poisoning...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Didi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m

Benjamin Lethbridge and Brian Jones aka Ben and Ollie. Where do I start...

Despite the cheerful, warm and patient exterior he painted for the world Ben is an insecure, miserable man trapped in ill-ridden body of his own making. To fill his time waiting for his organs donor, and thus operation, he bought and collected gay-porn DVD online almost on a daily basis! Imagine that! Ollie is the delivery guy, a gorgeous punk with color-changing hair. And thus their courting began. :D

I guess since this st...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Bitchie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, m-m-romance

This was a quick, sweet read. I did feel that Ollie fell for Ben maybe TOO fast, and didn't really understand what it was based on- a few minutes every day as he made deliveries? (and who can afford THAT much porn?) I'm also not sure that I bought into the happy ever after. Ollie just felt TOO young somehow. I've read books with age differences before, and even with one guy who was REALLY young, but I don't know if I bought the maturity in Ollie. In a lot of ways, he felt even younger than the 2...more

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May 15, 2012 Anwen Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance

I loved this one and couldn't wait to get back to it when I had to pause. Ollie was so much fun but I liked that he also didn't really have so much confidence underneath and Ben had to encourage him in his ambitions and chase after him a little at one time. They built up a strong feeling of commitment to each other which is important when you have characters who don't have much in common on the surface. A lot of authors think all they have to do is bring two guys together who have nothing in com...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ben Lethbridge is a responsible, caring man. When his parents died, he was quick to step up to care for his younger sister, Zoe, in spite of being an 18-year-old with diabetes. When Zoe is old enough to be independent Ben makes up for lost time, partying hard. Unfortunately, amidst the drinking, slutting and drugs, he manages to get hold of contaminated cocaine. This has the effect of destroying his kidneys, and had a tragic consequence for someone else. He is now pretty much confined to his hom...more Ben Lethbridge is a responsible, caring man. When his parents died, he was quick to step up to care for his younger sister, Zoe, in spite of being an 18-year-old with diabetes. When Zoe is old enough to be independent Ben makes up for lost time, partying hard. Unfortunately, amidst the drinking, slutting and drugs, he manages to get hold of contaminated cocaine. This has the effect of destroying his kidneys, and had a tragic consequence for someone else. He is now pretty much confined to his home, going through Dialysate infusions every four hours and waiting for a pancreas/ kidney transplant.
He works at home, and Zoe comes to check on him often. His only real entertainment is DVD porn, which happens to be delivered by the very adorable, purple-haired skater boy, Ollie. In Ben’s words, Ollie is “cuter than a Mange-style kitten”. I loved that description. Ollie is also cheerful, sweet and funny. He is the definite high point of Ben’s day, and part of the reason Ben is always ordering new DVDs.
Ben so looks forward to Ollie’s visits, even when he is surprised by his arrival and answers the door in a bathrobe and giant monster slippers. They have a little dance they go through, with Ollie being persistently cheerful and Ben trying not to show much the visits mean to him. As they start to really get to know each other, Ben tends to come across as fearful . Ollie is not put off by the dialysis tube, the scars, Ben’s crankiness.
When the time comes that Ben will go through the surgery he has been waiting for, Ollie is there for him. Ben hides behind the surgery in an effort to cover his fear. His self confidence has taken a hit since going through all this, and it shows in how he dresses, how he carries himself and how he perceives himself. Zoe begins working on this by forcing him to choose better clothes, and Ollie continues. Ben can act like a total jerk at times (getting livid with Ollie for washing out the shower due to hair dye being in it or feeling Ollie is babying him) and he lashes out. He will then try to figure out what he said wrong, even though it’s blatantly obvious to the rest of us (like saying “fucking houseboy twink”).
He also has to deal with Zoe becoming fearful of losing her brother, hassles going on at work (including an important who) and trying to come to terms with having Ollie in his life. Ollie notices it and deals with it so maturely. I felt like Ben made a lot of assumptions and jumped to a lot of conclusions. Ollie is lovely and wonderful, whether his hair is purple, red or blue. He has a goal, knows what he wants and works towards it. This includes Ben, who is a big job.

This is a sweet story, with just adorable Ollie and the cantankerous Ben and his porn collection. There is a point where Ollie’s embarrassment is so naïve and so sweet, I wanted to just hug him. Recommended.
(less)

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Aug 04, 2012 DavinciKittie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, m-m

Handle With Care is just okay. It's a simple story with a sweet romance, but its not something I'd read again and if there were sequels, I wouldn't be interested in reading it. Told from male first person POV, the narrator is a diabetic on dialysis... far from romantic or appealing. There's also a very large age gap between the characters, which usually doesn't bother me, but in this story, they were so different I just didn't grasp the chemistry. I'm sure it will absolutely resonate with some r...more

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May 10, 2012 Harper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, diabetes, illness, m-m, m-m-romance, opposites-attract, publisher-samhain, read-in-2012, contemporary

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So I had two main reasons for buying this book: 1) The MC, Ben, is a diabetic (as am I); 2) The description of Ollie as a purple-haired punk because, hey, I'm a fan of that type.

I did enjoy the book a lot overall. I think I might have liked it even more if it had focused a bit more on Ben's illness and not so much on his insecurities because of his illness. I mean, I get it - I'm on meds for life, have self-esteem issues because I'm sick, etc. And the book was less about his diabetes and more a...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Lady*M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, m-m-romance

3.5 stars

An O.K. read that somehow lost it's momentum once the dancing around each other/courting with porn DVDs ended. That part of the book was really charming.

I enjoyed the author's writing style and, yes, the Britishness always does it for me. I guess what bothered me was that, aside from a few minor bumps, the guys' relationship has developed rather smoothly. Their issues (even health issues) were dealt with easily and I never got the impression that they've really worked on resolving them...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Erika Philpott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

3rd April 2013
3 stars

I quite enjoyed this novel. It wasn't cliched like I was expecting it to be. It was however, predictable. I knew the moment Ollie got Ben off, the way he did it, that he was a sub. It's easy to pick them. Still, I liked the storyline and the touch of reality to it. It was a bit slow paced in the middle; with the revelation of Ollie's ast (even though it's pretty well implied and a predictable outcome.) I liked the vulnerability of Ben's character. I do wish it was in third p...more

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May 08, 2012 Valentina Heart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: glbt, the-romance-reviews

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

Even if you are not a fan of quirky characters who look like they've walked down from a manga cover and good-hearted men with health issues, you are still likely to appreciate this tale of men overcoming their issues and believing in love.

Ben has been on dialysis for a while and hates everything about it. The way he looks, how quickly he tires and has pretty much quit on ever having a life again. In addition h...more This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.

Even if you are not a fan of quirky characters who look like they've walked down from a manga cover and good-hearted men with health issues, you are still likely to appreciate this tale of men overcoming their issues and believing in love.

Ben has been on dialysis for a while and hates everything about it. The way he looks, how quickly he tires and has pretty much quit on ever having a life again. In addition he feels really guilty for the events that led to his state and while he is willing to admit he's had fun up to the point where the world crashed around him, he still wishes for more.

Ollie is a skateboarder who happens to deliver Ben's porn packages. He has an easy smile and is an overall bundle of energy. Quite younger than Ben, Ollie has plans for his life and Ben has trouble accepting he's pretty much the star of those plans. After all, why would his walking fantasy possibly want with an over-thirty sick guy with a mullet?

My favorite part of this story was the beginning, where Ben showed just how vulnerable he was and how the little details about his condition defined his whole life. I loved the details and the author really did a great job showing exactly how difficult it was waiting for a transplant and knowing that the chances were slim of ever getting one.

Ollie was one of those guys we all love to read about in m/m. Can I say tattoo again? Oh yeah. I loved how his shorts showed above the edge of his pants, how intrigued he was by Ben's scars and I could almost picture his art (yes, I am one of those who appreciate cyborgs with visible erections).

I thought the men were a good fit and the quick development of their relationship was almost natural. I would have wanted more of their interactions where their personalities really showed and the ending did seem like it came too fast. Maybe it was just me, but I felt the story had more to give and some parts could have been a bit more dynamic. But despite all that, I had fun reading about Ben and Ollie and their occasional bursts of British charm.

Since this is the fourth book I've reviewed by this author all I have left to say is that you can't really go wrong with her stories. There is always enough laughter and romance even for the demanding individuals. The lady sure knows how to write.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Helyce rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, m-m-contemporary, reviewed-for-smexybooks

Previously review at www.smexybooks.com

Ben was forced to grow up really fast when his parents died unexpectedly. Just 18, he suddenly became responsible for his younger sister, Zoe, who was only six at the time. He accepted this without question and raised his sister, making her his priority. He worked, bought a flat and against the odds, succeeded in keeping custody of Zoe and keeping their little family together.

Ben goes a little overboard once Zoe is off to college. Determined to make up for...more Previously review at www.smexybooks.com

Ben was forced to grow up really fast when his parents died unexpectedly. Just 18, he suddenly became responsible for his younger sister, Zoe, who was only six at the time. He accepted this without question and raised his sister, making her his priority. He worked, bought a flat and against the odds, succeeded in keeping custody of Zoe and keeping their little family together.

Ben goes a little overboard once Zoe is off to college. Determined to make up for lost time, Ben hits the clubs, has lots of meaningless sex and succumbs to drugs. It’s the last that nearly does him in, as Ben also has diabetes and this adventure into his lost youth has done nothing but worsen his illness. When a young man Ben had a brief hook up with dies of a drug overdose and Ben’s wallet is found in his possession, Ben realizes he’s got to make a change when before its too late. Unfortunately, he’ll learn that it is too late.

The damage he did to his body now has Ben on a daily home dialysis regimen that has him on a strict diet. He is weak, easily tired and doesn’t often venture far from home. Now, Zoe is the one who checks up on him, making sure he has what he needs and is doing what he is supposed to do as he waits for a transplant. He works from home, receiving information he needs via delivery. And his deliveries are the highlight of Ben’s days!

Ollie is a young, cute, purple-haired, skater-punk looking kid who makes Ben’s deliveries. Ben has a huge crush on him, but his gaydar has never worked really well and he believes Ollie is straight not to mention way too young for him. But it doesn’t stop Ben from looking forward to his deliveries; in fact he orders stuff off the internet specifically from places that use the carrier Ollie works for. One day, Ollie delivers a package that’s been damaged and Ben knows that Ollie couldn’t help but see the contents-a porn DVD. Ben is embarrassed and pissed but when Ollie comments that it’s one of his favorites, Ben realizes he may have been reading Ollie all wrong after all.

The more I read Josephine Myles, the more I love her work. In Handle With Care, we meet Ben who is severely dependent on a home dialysis regime that is not pretty. He feels unattractive, lives in sweats and t-shirts and can do no more than walk from his room to the sofa in his living room without becoming completely exhausted. He rarely ventures out and relies on Zoe for quite a bit. What I loved about the author’s portrayal of Ben was that he was not a whiny, invalid type of character who tried to blame others for his lot in life. He knows that he is ill through no fault but his own and the decisions he made. He follows the strict regimen while he patiently waits for a possible donor match. Ollie is the one thing that he looks forward to. Ben watches for that shock of bright purple hair to appear on his porch and those few minutes of chatting are really the highlight of his day. Watching Ben flounder a bit as he fights with his conscience over his attraction to Ollie was entertaining as well. Once he realizes that he may have been reading Ollie wrong, however, all bets are off. I adored the character of Ollie as well. After his subtle flirting and hints are not quite received by Ben, he takes matters into his own hands by opening a package meant for Ben in the hopes of gaining some sort of insight to what made Ben tick. Ollie’s ‘kink’ was an interesting take on how the author handled Ben’s discomfort with his body and it really worked in helping Ben accept Ollie’s advances.

I also enjoyed the way the author explored the relationship between Ben and his sister Zoe. It had a “full circle” feel to it that really rounded out the storyline herein. For years, Ben and Zoe just had each other and they’d been through a lot. Ben’s many sacrifices are not lost on Zoe and the turn of tables with Zoe now having to care for her brother after years of it being the other way around provided an interesting look into their relationship. When Ollie and Ben begin spending more time together, Zoe has a huge adjustment to make as she realizes that Ben has room in his heart for more than just her.

Ms. Myles writes with much humor as well, which is always a plus for me and now that I’ve read a few of her books, I’m doing much better with some of the British humor she incorporates into her writing. It provided a good balance to the parts of the story that were more serious. After waiting what seems like ages for a transplant, one becomes available just as Ben and Ollie discover their mutual attraction to each other. Here, the author does a great job of still allowing the characters to go through their “getting to know you” stage even as Ollie takes on a caretaker type role following Ben’s surgery. It endeared Ollie even more to me that while it’s pointed out how young he is, he’s actually quite mature.

The story wraps up really nicely with Ben helping Ollie to realize one of his dreams as he recovers from surgery. A really nice ending to a lovely story.(less)

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May 01, 2012 Cindi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, m-m

I am normally a big fan of books that have a considerable age difference between the two main characters as long as each character is legal. While I enjoyed the premise of this story, the age difference shows through more than most books of this type I have read. Ollie is 20. A very young and at times immature 20. Ben is 33 and at times he comes across as a much older man. I did not see their relationship as equal in any way. Ben gets upset and treats Ollie like a child. Ollie gets upset and run...more

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