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The Strength of a Man

by Sara Winters (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 36 ratings · 21 reviews

Kurt Dennings learned one life lesson the hard way: love, even between a parent and child, is not always unconditional. After coming out and experiencing a painful rejection from his parents and friends, Kurt feels as if he's lost everything that mattered.

James Theard comes into Kurt's life when he needs someone the most. A friend first and boyfriend second, James becomes...more

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Published June 14th 2012 by Sara Winters

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Nov 07, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, erotic-romance, lgbt, sports, short-stories

3.5 stars

Kurt Dennings is a college freshman and a good swimmer with a lot of potential. James Theard is the swim team captain who volunteers to help Kurt refine his technique and get him in shape for the team’s first match. What holds Kurt back is a lack of confidence in his abilities, and the feeling that Coach Davis’ decision to take him on the team was influenced by his friendship with Kurt’s father. As if that’s not enough, Kurt recently came out to his parents and close friends and is hurt...more 3.5 stars

Kurt Dennings is a college freshman and a good swimmer with a lot of potential. James Theard is the swim team captain who volunteers to help Kurt refine his technique and get him in shape for the team’s first match. What holds Kurt back is a lack of confidence in his abilities, and the feeling that Coach Davis’ decision to take him on the team was influenced by his friendship with Kurt’s father. As if that’s not enough, Kurt recently came out to his parents and close friends and is hurting deeply from their bitter rejection.

James is very attentive and really wants Kurt to succeed. He is also very perceptive and knows that something more is going on that is keeping Kurt from staying focused. There is an attraction that James struggles to keep under wraps until he is more certain about Kurt’s feelings. I love the gentle flirtation, blushes, and the instructive touching to show Kurt just which muscles he needs to use more effectively.

As the two young men get to know each other, Kurt reveals the anguish caused by his family’s rejection and Kurt offers support and friendship. I liked the slow progression of their relationship and James’ desire to be a friend first. When Kurt’s mother finally starts to come around, their interaction is heartbreaking. His mom was very well developed and showed a wide range of reactions from shock, denial, anger, hurt, rejection, and gradual acceptance.

James is a really good guy and doesn’t take advantage of Kurt’s youth and inexperience. At times, he felt a little too perfect, but Kurt has had such a bad time between his family’s rejection and the problems in his past that keep James and Kurt from achieving total sexual intimacy that I was glad for his supreme patience and understanding. Still, I would have liked to feel more of James’ frustration.

I loved the swimming details and would have liked to see more focus on Kurt’s progress. Kurt’s other problem, while handled very sensitively, was a little much for a story of this short length and made me feel overwhelmed.

*Received this book from the author for review at Outlaw Reviews

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24 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2012 Arthur rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This book is an extension of last year's Don't Read in the Closet short story Starting Over. It's about Kurt, a freshman swimmer who got a private training by James, the school's team star. In the short story, we get a glimpse of Kurt's mother coming to the swimming event. Considering his parents had all but disowned him when he came out couple months before, it was a surprise for Kurt. In this book, that visit is developed into one of the two plots. The other plot is about Kurt's probl...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 11, 2013 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-owned, hurt-comfort-disability, m-m, sports, abuse, cry-me-a-river, evil-ex, feel-good-read, short, sweet

3.35*

This was a nice sequel or at least an extended version of the free HSD story Starting Over.
Kurt came out to his parents and it went very poorly, he also has past trauma to deal with.
James is on his swim team and takes him under his wing and helps him out, they develop a friendship that quickly turns into a relationship.
All in all it was a sweet story of young love and reconciliation with your past and your future.
I had a few niggles, like it wasn't always clear who was thinking things, at l...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Top 2 Bottom Reviews Interviews and More rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Sara Winters, and I have to say I’m impressed by this short story. She really captures the angst and emotional trauma that one of her heroes, Kurt, goes through, and even though they’re a lot of things going on with him, it’s not overly done and the romance between Kurt and James really made this a lovely read.

Kurt has recently come out of the closet to his parents and to his dismay and heartache, they have rejected him. As a member of his college swi...more 4.5 Stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Sara Winters, and I have to say I’m impressed by this short story. She really captures the angst and emotional trauma that one of her heroes, Kurt, goes through, and even though they’re a lot of things going on with him, it’s not overly done and the romance between Kurt and James really made this a lovely read.

Kurt has recently come out of the closet to his parents and to his dismay and heartache, they have rejected him. As a member of his college swim team, his performance at meets and practice has suffered because of Kurt’s pain. He believes he’s about to be kicked off the team and is starting to think that there’s nothing positive in his life, the captain of the swim team, James, steps in and offers to give Kurt some pointers and help him.

Soon, James and Kurt fall into a fast friendship and their relationship starts to evolve into something very special. But Kurt’s hurt and anger often keeps him from totally trusting and opening up to James. Lucky for him, James is a very patient and understanding person, so hopefully with a little love and acceptance, Kurt will begin to believe in both himself and in the relationship he and James have together. Will Kurt be able to work through his past hurts and open himself to the love that James wants to give?
I really liked this book. When it comes to the story in general, it’s not always an easy read. Kurt’s life is filled with sadness, anger and confusion, and this brought out all of my protective instincts for him. I just wanted to grab him and adopt him for myself. At the beginning of the story, Kurt feels a lot of loss and self-loathing, but with James’ guidance he begins to work though his pain and starts to evolve into a more confident man. I thought the drama between Kurt and his parents was well written and I often felt sorry for Kurt and the hell he went through. Even though there’s a lot going on with him emotionally, in the end Kurt still proves that he’s able to stand on his own and be proud of who he really is. I enjoyed watching him evolve into a stronger person and thought he was an all-around likeable and sympathetic hero.

James is a total doll. He’s truly perfect for Kurt. He’s supportive of Kurt without smothering him with over sympathetic gestures. He allows Kurt to grow and change at his own pace and ended up being the boyfriend that most people would be proud to have.

I really enjoyed the roller-coaster ride of emotions the author gave me while I read this book. I do wish the book had been a little longer. The ending was a big rushed for me. I wish there has been an epilogue or a least another chapter or two instead of the quick summary at the end. But otherwise, the story moves along quite quickly and is well-paced throughout. I thought the trauma that Kurt goes through was realistically written as well as the steps he took to overcome it. Recommended!

Reviewed By: Gabbi(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Ami rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-contemporary, mm-romance-or-erotica

3.5 stars
This is an extended version of last year's Starting Over and I must thank Arthur for bringing this to my attention. Truthfully, I don't remember much about the short story that becomes the basis on this one, so in a sense this feels like reading a new one.

There are two important issues here, regarding Kurt and his journey of falling in love with his swimming team captain, James. First is how Kurt handles the fact of him being disowned by his family, after he came out to them by writing...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 26, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews

Good heavens, poor Kurt. You want to scoop him up and hug him. He wants to be accepted for who he is, and though he knows his father will have issue with it, he has hope for his mother. That isn’t to be when he leaves a carefully worded letter explaining he is gay. To make it worse, not only do his parents reject him, but his two closest friends, who he thinks will be in his corner and convince his parents he is the same son he was before, also reject him. Deva...more Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews

Good heavens, poor Kurt. You want to scoop him up and hug him. He wants to be accepted for who he is, and though he knows his father will have issue with it, he has hope for his mother. That isn’t to be when he leaves a carefully worded letter explaining he is gay. To make it worse, not only do his parents reject him, but his two closest friends, who he thinks will be in his corner and convince his parents he is the same son he was before, also reject him. Devastating at any age, but a freshman in college, just on his own for the first time? Awful.
Kurt is a member of the swim team and he is floundering, as would be expected when your life is in upheaval like that. The Coach directs a senior member, James, to help him out. There may be a double reason why Coach wants James to help Kurt. James has been where Kurt is now, gay, rejected and afraid of failing the team. Coach helped James, James will help Kurt.
Kurt has additional baggage with him – his first sexual experience was with a user, and the second was with an abuser. Kurt has a lot to get over before he can become whole. James is patient, and wants only Kurt’s best. Sometimes, Kurt acts like an ass (for example, he gets angry at James for things such as suggesting counseling) but he is trying to work through things by avoiding them. He needs a nudge sometimes.
One disappointment for me was that as the story progressed the swimming seemed to take a back seat. It’s very prominent in the first part, and then relegated to very back. It comes up briefly but only really as a way for Kurt’s mom to come up. As a swimming fan, I would have enjoyed that focus. But there is a lot for Kurt to deal with, so we focus on that. James, that man is a saint, honestly. James’ friend Blake comes across as a doofus and yet I really liked him as well. He’s just funny, honest and in James’ face about things.
I thought his parents were realistically portrayed (unfortunately for those who thought they were loved unconditionally) and mom especially, gravitating from one end to the other, trying to find a balance, was a true life character. Kurt is so lucky to have James, and James is lucky to have Kurt. Recommended.
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May 05, 2013 The TBR Pile *Book review site* rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...

I really loved the characters and enjoyed the hurt and care for elements but James went from “in a relationship you show your emotions with sex” to “I can hold out forever”. I picked up that there was growth due to age and finding someone he loves however there isn’t really a show of that progression in the book. I loved that James wasn’t some magical cure for the issues that Kurt had, there was therapy and time. The book was very real and raw. Some of the...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Cole Riann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: armchair-reviews, m-m, m-m-abuse-physical-sexual, m-m-college, m-m-contemporary, m-m-sports

Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

I never read the original story that was then expanded into this book. It was part of last year's Goodreads M/M Romance Group's Hot Summer Days, and like many of those stories I missed this one. I'm glad now, because I really loved reading this novella and I can't imagine having read this story and not gotten all I did here, in this expanded edition. There's quite a bit of angst (well, for me -- not really for others probably), but it is very necessary to the...more Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

I never read the original story that was then expanded into this book. It was part of last year's Goodreads M/M Romance Group's Hot Summer Days, and like many of those stories I missed this one. I'm glad now, because I really loved reading this novella and I can't imagine having read this story and not gotten all I did here, in this expanded edition. There's quite a bit of angst (well, for me -- not really for others probably), but it is very necessary to the relationship.

Kurt is a freshman at NYU and has made the swim team. In actuality, he's very good, with tons of potential, but he can't see it because of his terrible self-confidence and he's also been lagging in his times lately because he came out to his parents and friends only to have everyone reject him. Now, he's convinced they are kicking him off the team. James Theard, the team's captain is his saving grace. He's given the task of helping Kurt by the coach, and sure, he can help him get his times up with work on technique. It isn't long though, that he sees that isn't the real problem. Kurt is down on himself constantly, and combined with the blushes on his face in the locker room, he thinks he might know why that is. After all, he went through something similar and thinks that might be why the coach told him to work with Kurt.

The problem is that Kurt has dealt with some other issues, deeper issues. Those things are what first obliterated his confidence and self-worth and being abandoned by his parents and friends was just the final straw that told him he was really worthless. When James starts to fall for Kurt, and vice versa, it isn't just about swimming anymore, but James wanting Kurt to be the best man that he can be, and for them to have the possibility of a real relationship.

This is the first book that I've read in quite a while that I felt really hit the college mark. It isn't just about getting in college parties and classes and details right, but it is really about getting the characters right. College, for most people, is such a pivotal part of growing up that is all about emotional growth, especially for a freshman. Kurt was written really, really well, I thought, and I liked that as he progressed under James' tutelage that those details were covered as well, friends, roommates. It isn't easy going for these guys either. The author gives both characters' points of view in a way that works to show their different levels of maturity. Even though James is constantly in the shadow of Kurt's problems, it also shows that he's subtly facing problems himself. First off, how to control his raging libido and not hurt Kurt. How to deal with the real possibility that he could so easily manipulate him, and how hard it can be not the let the first overshadow the second.

It has got to be difficult to write a story like this and make James a supportive boyfriend without coming across as too perfect, and while I worried about that while I was reading, I never really felt like he was too perfect. He did just what he needed to do for Kurt while also looking out for himself, and I appreciated that. It helped keep the balance in a relationship that is often outlined by their imbalance in power and emotional maturity. I don't really want to go into the issues he faces, because the details themselves aren't really important, other than as an obstacle in their growing relationship. Still, no one should fear having any problems with them, they're off page.

Having spend so much time around NYU, I really would have loved more little details, even more of the little NYC details that I picked up in the story, but I did find some and I appreciated that. This story, while it isn't something that I would usually pick up was written very well with a lot of care for real issues. It walked a very fine edge for me. It could have spectacularly failed in several ways, but I think this author really pulled it off and I ended up really liking it. It definitely captured parts of the college experience that I haven't read in this genre with authenticity to a city school, and NYC is different than any city :)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Gabbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: top2bottom-reviews, gay-romance, sara-winters, angst, friends-to-lovers, heroes-with-mental-challenges

This is the first book I’ve read by Sara Winters, and I have to say I’m impressed by this short story. She really captures the angst and emotional trauma that one of her heroes, Kurt, goes through, and even though they’re a lot of things going on with him, it’s not overly done and the romance between Kurt and James really made this a lovely read.

Kurt has recently come out of the closet to his parents and to his dismay and heartache, they have rejected him. As a member of his college swim team, h...more This is the first book I’ve read by Sara Winters, and I have to say I’m impressed by this short story. She really captures the angst and emotional trauma that one of her heroes, Kurt, goes through, and even though they’re a lot of things going on with him, it’s not overly done and the romance between Kurt and James really made this a lovely read.

Kurt has recently come out of the closet to his parents and to his dismay and heartache, they have rejected him. As a member of his college swim team, his performance at meets and practice has suffered because of Kurt’s pain. He believes he’s about to be kicked off the team and is starting to think that there’s nothing positive in his life, the captain of the swim team, James, steps in and offers to give Kurt some pointers and help him.

Soon, James and Kurt fall into a fast friendship and their relationship starts to evolve into something very special. But Kurt’s hurt and anger often keeps him from totally trusting and opening up to James. Lucky for him, James is a very patient and understanding person, so hopefully with a little love and acceptance, Kurt will begin to believe in both himself and in the relationship he and James have together. Will Kurt be able to work through his past hurts and open himself to the love that James wants to give?
I really liked this book. When it comes to the story in general, it’s not always an easy read. Kurt’s life is filled with sadness, anger and confusion, and this brought out all of my protective instincts for him. I just wanted to grab him and adopt him for myself. At the beginning of the story, Kurt feels a lot of loss and self-loathing, but with James’ guidance he begins to work though his pain and starts to evolve into a more confident man. I thought the drama between Kurt and his parents was well written and I often felt sorry for Kurt and the hell he went through. Even though there’s a lot going on with him emotionally, in the end Kurt still proves that he’s able to stand on his own and be proud of who he really is. I enjoyed watching him evolve into a stronger person and thought he was an all-around likeable and sympathetic hero.

James is a total doll. He’s truly perfect for Kurt. He’s supportive of Kurt without smothering him with over sympathetic gestures. He allows Kurt to grow and change at his own pace and ended up being the boyfriend that most people would be proud to have.

I really enjoyed the roller-coaster ride of emotions the author gave me while I read this book. I do wish the book had been a little longer. The ending was a big rushed for me. I wish there has been an epilogue or a least another chapter or two instead of the quick summary at the end. But otherwise, the story moves along quite quickly and is well-paced throughout. I thought the trauma that Kurt goes through was realistically written as well as the steps he took to overcome it. Recommended!(less)

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Jun 29, 2012 Sadonna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pdf, mm, contemporary, coming-out

This is a nice expansion on the story from last year's HSD free story from the M/M Romance group. From the beginnings of James helping Kurt and the growth of their relationship, we see the ways that Kurt has been hurt in the past - but his former lovers and by his family. James is a really good boyfriend. We get to see both his frustration and his true caring for Kurt. I liked the ending that was not idealized or unrealistic.

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Jun 16, 2012 Anke rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
It was a nice and easy read. I just found the storyline with Kurt's hang-ups was too drawn-out and the timeline was a bit unclear, especially at the end. A simple epilogue might have been better.

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 10, 2012 Kendra rated it 2 of 5 stars

I liked the potential of this story but it never came to pass. It seemed like Kurt was all over the place, one minute he hated someone, the next it seemed like all was forgiven. I couldn't keep up.

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Jul 07, 2012 Hearts On Fire Reviews added it

Reviewed by: Lucy
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Rated: 4 Hearts

http://heartsonfirereviews.com/

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Dec 09, 2012 Sheilad37 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great story. Glad that she continued the short story of "starting over."

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Dec 21, 2012 Miriki marked it as to-read

free at ARe 21/12/12

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Sep 30, 2012 Vio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cute-mc-s, interesting, likeable-characters, lovely, romantic, recommended

3.5 stars

1 like · like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 Sandra marked it as to-read

Shelves: short-stories, m-m, contemporary-romance, may-december

$2.99 on Smashwords

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Aug 03, 2012 Tracy's Place rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

3.75 out of 5

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Mar 28, 2013 Connie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, sports, coming-out

Want to read a book built on UST alone? This one is the one for you!

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Dec 21, 2012 Tailtiu rated it 3 of 5 stars

3,5* Longer version of the short and free story Starting Over

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Jun 17, 2012 Edina Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-gap, college-high-school, coming-of-age, sports

3.5 stars

I found the MCs interaction with the mum very interesting. Nice college romance.

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May 05, 2013 Lizzie marked it as to-read

May 03, 2013 Shannon marked it as maybe

Apr 28, 2013 Anita Jennings rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Mar 21, 2013 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Mar 20, 2013 Trish rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Sara Winters

I read. I write. I talk too much and don't blog nearly as much as I should. And my muse consists of several voices in my head with a moody ringleader. Don't be scared of the voices. They mean well (most of the time).

I write romance, erotic romance, fantasy, mainstream fiction and the rare spiritual fiction.

You can find me at my website, facebook (profile)/ page, twitter, but mostly my my (sometime ...more

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