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Saving Sean (Seattle Stories #2)

by Con Riley (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 318 ratings · 85 reviews

A Seattle Stories novel

Nearly a year after being rejected for another man, Seattle paramedic Peter Morse is still pining, so when the one that got away asks him for a favor, he agrees. His mission: track down Sean Reid, the runaway brother of a mutual friend. Peter isn’t thrilled about it—until he finds Sean injured by the side of the road.

Everything about Sean stirs Pete...more

ebook, 280 pages

Published September 24th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2012

190th out of 583 books — 1,183 voters

Most Anticipated Books in a Continuing series June 2012 - March 2013

142nd out of 275 books — 411 voters

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Sep 28, 2012 Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Full review now posted

3.5 stars.

Saving Sean is the sequel to After Ben. After loving and actually devouring After Ben I've had very high expectations and it saddens me to say that I'm not overly happy with Saving Sean. To be honest, the book could never live up to my high expectations. The final 30 % of Saving Sean contained too much sex and fell totally flat for me. And then there was Sean…and Maggie. Frankly, Sean is not my kind of hero and Maggie who was a wonderful character in After Ben tur...more Full review now posted

3.5 stars.

Saving Sean is the sequel to After Ben. After loving and actually devouring After Ben I've had very high expectations and it saddens me to say that I'm not overly happy with Saving Sean. To be honest, the book could never live up to my high expectations. The final 30 % of Saving Sean contained too much sex and fell totally flat for me. And then there was Sean…and Maggie. Frankly, Sean is not my kind of hero and Maggie who was a wonderful character in After Ben turned into a woman I couldn't recognize anymore.

Peter is such an adorable character and I always hoped that he would find a great guy to share his life with. Having said that, I seriously doubt that Sean is the man for my Peter. Yeah, the joys of love…maybe it’s just me 'cause I couldn’t warm up to him. Sean annoyed me; he was frustrating and I didn’t understand what Pete saw in him. Why did he have to run away on a regular basis when things got "complicated?" For a grown-up I expected him to be more mature and less dependent. He was a rather volatile and weak character, just not enough stable and I was always thinking “Something is not quite right with Sean.” He had to question everything Peter did for him. Sean was pale and he was tired all the time. In all honesty, he was the opposite of an appealing and mesmerizing character. He seemed to be dazed or mentally absent a great many times. On the other hand, I believe that Sean hit the jackpot when he met Peter. Peter is a good and kind-hearted soul, always ready to help and Sean should feel lucky to have found such a generous man. Furthermore, the story revolved too much around the hoarding topic. Don’t get me wrong, I know it's a very serious problem and I don’t intend to minimize it, however, all the clutter was kinda overwhelming and somewhat depressing. Finally, let me say something about Maggie (Sean's sister). While she really shined in After Ben, she totally lost me in Saving Sean. Maggie became bitchy and the interaction between Sean and her came waaaay too late and I felt that their problems were resolved too quickly. In fact, it really hurt to see such a wonderful woman lose all her magic.

What I do love is the author’s voice and as I mentioned before Peter is a lovable character. The lovely scenes between Peter and his father, good writing, dialogue and characterization and a cast of interesting secondary characters (Aidan especially) saved the book from being a total letdown.

Nevertheless, I do look forward to reading Aidan's story.

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Sep 24, 2012 MandyM rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance

4.5 stars. Another seriously good m/m romance from relatively new author Con Riley who is now on my auto-buy list. In Saving Sean, unlucky-in-love paramedic Peter is sent on a mercy mission to save the younger brother of Maggie (a friend of Peter's 'ex' Theo, with whom he is still infatuated). Peter can't refuse and spends his vacation helping idealistic young conservationist Sean go through his deceased father's cabin. A lot of pressure is on Sean to finalise the estate and sell the cabin and l...more 4.5 stars. Another seriously good m/m romance from relatively new author Con Riley who is now on my auto-buy list. In Saving Sean, unlucky-in-love paramedic Peter is sent on a mercy mission to save the younger brother of Maggie (a friend of Peter's 'ex' Theo, with whom he is still infatuated). Peter can't refuse and spends his vacation helping idealistic young conservationist Sean go through his deceased father's cabin. A lot of pressure is on Sean to finalise the estate and sell the cabin and land to a big consortium but he is not coping with the memories that it brings back of his cruel father and lost mother. Sean's vulnerability and wild beauty becomes increasingly important to Peter as he learns the difference between infatuation and true love.

I just want to share some of the things I really like about this author's style. Firstly the realism. Our MC's are not isolated. They are part of a group of fully fleshed out secondary characters that have significant roles to play in helping our heroes reach their HEA. The issues surrounding the loss of a parent, sibling relationships, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are all incorporated into the plot in a way that just increases the reader's enjoyment and knowledge of the characters. The fact that Sean starts to exhibit some of his father's symptoms as the pressure mounts up is an extra touch that cemented my belief in the story.

Other things like the sex scenes which are among the best I've read in this genre. There are only one or two that progress to full anal sex, most are mutual BJ's or frotting, but they are so incredibly sensual and FUNNY! I found myself laughing as the guys joke around during the act. I like that it's not always serious because that's what it's like IRL.

I LOVED the ongoing joke about Peter who blurts out everything that comes into his mind without realising that he has spoken. Some of the most tender moments come from this little idiosyncrasy he has. I appreciated that the dialogue was interspersed and grounded in images and descriptive passages about where they were or what they were thinking.

There is one little writing technique that impressed me. I don't know if the author even meant to do it. But in the beginning of the novel before Peter realises that it's Sean he wants and not Theo, I would be reading a chapter then at the end Peter would reminisce about a kiss or significant conversation he had shared with Sean that was not mentioned as it happened. It's like Peter blocked it out or couldn't believe it happened at first until he had time to relive it later by himself. It piqued my interest and slowed down my ultra-fast reading habit as I went back and forth to find clues about their growing attraction.

The only thing that took me aback was Sean's habit of running off when a conversation got too deep or confronting. He just seemed to take off at top speed aimlessly into the distance mid-sentence. I found it a bit WTF?? type of behaviour and wondered if Peter would really have found that such an attractive trait or whether he would think it was odd.

Anyway obviously this book is right up my alley in regards to style and plot. I noticed someone mentioning about editing. The only problem I saw was in the last chapter when 'if' was used instead of 'of' and Sean's name was spelled 'SSean'. So don't let yourself be put off reading this for editing issues. It's a cracker of a book and the third novel is set up in such a way that you WON'T be able to resist buying it. Can't wait till Aiden and Marco! Bring it on!!

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Sep 25, 2012 Ami rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

3.5 stars

I had some likes and some dislikes -- issues with characters' personalities (that seemed different from the beginning OR that I knew from book #1), quick conflict resolution, and weird sentences. It has been two months since I read book #1 and I am probably in a less good mood now, especially since I still have the m/m romance slump. The result is, things that I was able to dismiss in After Ben were now glaring at me like neon lights. However, I also had parts that I adored or some humo...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Kate added it

"Saving Sean" was a good book that ended up being a frustrating read for me.

The beginning: We have a fixer, Peter, who likes to put people back together. He is a paramedic, a little bit of a loner who has always found it easier to hold himself back than to risk himself needing other people. He has no brain-mouth filter and very often inadvertently says what he is thinking. He and his father have an awkward relationship which neither of them know how to bridge. Secondly, we have the other MC, Se...more "Saving Sean" was a good book that ended up being a frustrating read for me.

The beginning: We have a fixer, Peter, who likes to put people back together. He is a paramedic, a little bit of a loner who has always found it easier to hold himself back than to risk himself needing other people. He has no brain-mouth filter and very often inadvertently says what he is thinking. He and his father have an awkward relationship which neither of them know how to bridge. Secondly, we have the other MC, Sean, a guy who is struggling to deal with years of baggage and other people's expectations. Sean is estranged from his sister, trying to understand what drove his dead father, at odds with the entire community who need him to sell his land so that a golf course development can bring some much needed money into the local economy. He's a lost soul and a Peter-magnet.

The supporting cast: Lots of secondary characters add to this story. They are unique, sometimes funny, sometimes helpful, sometimes you wonder: Theo, Morgan, Joel and Evan from the first book in this series; Ben's (dead guy from the first book) brother, Marco; Evan's brother, Aiden; Vik, a scientist who mentors and works with Sean; Connor, a fireman who Peter almost dates and turns out to be Sean's high school crush; Sean's sister, Maggie; Peter's dad. Maybe I forgot a few (but man I sure got to use LOTS of punctuation!) In one of my minor irritations with this book, ALL of them except sister and dad are gay. That seems a tad excessive.

The romance: Pretty much insta-love. Peter falls for Sean as soon as he finds him injured on the highway and takes him back to his cabin to patch him up. Sean is obviously in need of fixing, physically, emotionally and mentally and Peter sets himself to do just that. Sean frustrated me. He seems scrappy and strong in the beginning of the story and gets less and less capable of making decisions and moving himself forward as it progresses. All of Peter's issues with his father and with relying on other people get resolved before the 50% mark, which was a shame, because it made him little more than Sean's tower of strength. The progression of their relationship is shown through their slowly escalating sex scenes, and most of the story between 50-80% is Sean and Peter having sex every time they are alone spiced up by a few fallouts and misunderstandings. The sex is well written, but became repetitious and I thought could have been cut down substantially with no loss to the story. The more interesting pieces of the plot got lost in this section. It's a sweet part of the story, but barring Sean's tendency to run when things get to be too much and Peter's propensity for sticking his foot in his mouth, there is very little conflict between the two men.

The plot: Wasn't fully utilized. Riley had a great set up with a number of difficulties that added interest to the story

1. Peter's self imposed isolation and his difficult relationship with his father.
2. Sean's confused anger at his father's behavior, the weight of expectations from his sister and the community around him, his attempts to reconcile his past with his current life, having to deal with the monumental headache left to him in the form of a cabin piled to the walls with hoarded pieces of his father's past.
3. Sean's estrangement from his sister.

But all of these pieces went away very simply and too easily. In the end the only tension was in finding an alternative to Sean selling the cabin and of course they came up with the obvious one that had occurred to me at the beginning of the story. I also thought Sean needed a lot more character arc and *I* needed him to stand on his own two feet in the end and be less dependent on other people telling him what to do. He doesn't seem stable or adult enough to sustain a relationship with Peter.

The writing was awesome. Great characterization, the dialogue and the description were perfectly balanced. The men were all unique and believable. The language flowed and the author hit a sweet spot between telling and showing. She is also very deft at writing poignant and sentimental scenes without tipping over into bathos and melodrama. The only issue for me was pacing, and I think it is because so much of the conflicts (see above) were resolved early in the story, including the romance, that there was no real build into a climax.

Summary: A good book that half worked for me? Five stars at the halfway point, but I was bored by the time I got to the end. I think most people will really enjoy it. Those who like more complex character arcs, less sex and a lot of tension will probably be a little frustrated. (less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Vio rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-and-not-so-good, contemporary, likeable-characters, not-as-good-as-the-first, not-sure-what-to-think, wished-i-could-have-loved-it, disappointed, sister-pissed-me-off, whiny-at-times

3.25 stars
Sadly, another sequel which crashed and burned. So disappointing, not even close to matching the wonderful and loved first story in the series of After Ben.

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Sep 30, 2012 Camille rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-rom-erotica

In summary: it was tedious and poorly written.

In detail:

I could see the bones in this story. This story read like a sketch, an outline that was hastily and shabbily clothed in response to demand. There is a difference when an author writes with her soul and for herself and in her own timing as opposed to when an author is writing in fulfillment of external exertions being placed upon her, whether they be from the publishing house, editors, her audience et al. Because the bones/the structure were...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Jess Candela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: jessewave-reviews, m-m, read-in-2012

Review Summary: A decent book that fell far short of the standard set by the first.

Review: Though I got engrossed in this one faster than After Ben , my enthusiasm waned around the middle and by the end I was frustrated. Insta-love, a main couple planning HEA for reasons that weren't clear to me, gratuitous sex once the heroes got together, and formerly likeable characters who were now obnoxious did not result in a sequel that lived up to the standard set by the first book.

Given my pet peeve abo...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Amy *Sussudio* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-stars-or-less

There are several other reviews that cover the good and bad. So I'm just going to give my immediate thoughts:
(view spoiler)...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Snowtulip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, own

3.5

Book one in this series had some emotional depth that makes it a hard to follow up with in book two.

The slow burn and emotional progession and growth that made me love book one are not present in this book.

However, this is still a good read, just not what I was waiting for.

Sean and Peter work great together, I wish there wasn't so much sex...almost like they used that to build their relationship.

This review is a bit fragmented, but that is how the story was for me.

My absolute favorite thing a...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Bea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: doctor-medicine, goodreads-review, male-male

I loved the first book. I was so ready to read about Peter. He was a character who I almost wanted to get with Theo. now in book two he gets with Maggie's brother Sean.

I enjoyed the book, but there seemed to be a lot of triangles and angst that I was not sure was needed.

But the main reason that I gave this a 3 star instead of 4?[after re-read I have made it a 4] Maggie. Apparently, between books she was captured by aliens and given some sort of personality transplant. I was left with NO respect...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Nile Princess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m-romance, couldn-t-finish

1.75*

Every review I read seems to say that this book wasn't as great as After Ben, which is neither here nor there to me since I had major issues with After Ben as well. I think this author's writing style just doesn't work for me. I need a cogent, concise story, with a sequence that I can follow and minimal distractions. The author's characters are awesome, dialogue is wonderful. It's everything else that I can't deal with. Incessant rambling, paragraphs and paragraphs of backstory that I could...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Posy Roberts rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

I could read anything Con Riley writes over and over again. I was lucky enough to get to sit down and read this cover to cover today in nearly one shot, minus a pesky class to teach. What a joy! The setting came to life for me—Sean's dad's house—down to the smells and sights. I'm thinking I may need to buy some chickens. I'd love warm, freshly laid eggs for breakfast, even if I had to deal with the "stupid fucking chickens."

But what really brings this novel to life for me is Sean. He's dynamic...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Terry rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book and found it much more accessible than the first in this series "After Ben". Con Riley has changed her style of writing for this book, whether it was better planned out before writing or maybe her publishers and readers feedback made her write differently I am not sure but there are definitely less frequent "backward glances" in this book and therefore it less confusing.

Why other readers have focused solely on the piles of accumulated paper that Sean's father had collect...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Ulysses Dietz rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll agree that "Saving Sean" feels more impulsive and less "slow burn" than "After Ben," but Riley's gift with words and emotions makes this a marvelously satisfying book nonetheless. It is a different sort of a love story than her first novel - this is "bolt from the blue" love. Not everyone buys into it, but some of us are willing to embrace the possibility.

Once again we are treated to beautifully complex characters - not always likable immediately, but ultimately revealed to be lovable and a...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am so pleased to have found this author. Con Riley writes beautifully. "Saving Sean" is the second novel in the Seattle Stories publications. Judging by the way secondary characters are developing, there should be many more to come in this series.
Although this book is called "Saving Sean" it is actually Peter the paramedic's story, Peter was introduced in the first novel "After Ben." It's great to see characters return in this story, they become more like family or close friends rather than ch...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I was so happy to find out while reading "After Ben" that Peter was getting a story because I liked him so much in the first book!

Theo asks Peter to check in on his assistant's brother since Peter is in the area, Sean is not answering Maggie's calls and she is worried. Peter is still a bit heartbroken over what happened with Theo and plans to say no, however, being the type of man he is, he says yes instead. He's not sure what to make of his first meeting with Sean, and does not fully understand...more I was so happy to find out while reading "After Ben" that Peter was getting a story because I liked him so much in the first book!

Theo asks Peter to check in on his assistant's brother since Peter is in the area, Sean is not answering Maggie's calls and she is worried. Peter is still a bit heartbroken over what happened with Theo and plans to say no, however, being the type of man he is, he says yes instead. He's not sure what to make of his first meeting with Sean, and does not fully understand what Sean is attempting to do at his childhood home since his fathers death but after thinking he'll be okay physically, he heads home.

For me, this book and this series really seem to be about relationships and how you connect, disconnect, relate to, open up to or close off with others. For Peter, he has to reevaluate the perception he's had of his Dad, especially since his Mom left them, he learns he has to ask for help sometimes even though he's been the guy to fix things for himself and others and most important, sometimes you have to work for something or someone who is worth it, even if you don't always understand why it's important, which is the case with Sean.

Sean is afraid of rejection for how his teen confrontation went with his father, and that although his Dad knew where he was, he only contacted him close to the end so that Sean could not get back in time to help his Dad heal, he was just left with the land and the cabin with a life's worth of work that Sean feels he must sort through. It's almost like he feels he must figure out what his Dad's work was about to "prove" himself to his Dad. And as much as Sean wants Peter, he's afraid that Peter will leave him too because of his desire to sort through his childhood home.

As with the first book in the series, I was completely pulled in by these characters, wanting to jump into the pages to get the characters to see what was in front of them, or just to give them hugs because they felt so real to me! And I was so sucked in, I had to start "Aiden's Luck" as soon as I was done!

I loved Sean and his desire to make sense of his Dad and his past, Peter wanting to be there for him even if he didn't understand, the progress he made with his own Dad and of course, the supporting characters of Evan and Joel (love those two), Jack, Aiden, seeing Theo & Morgan again and Marco!

If you like books that are strong on characters and their relationships, the ups and the downs, I highly recommend this series!!!
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Mar 11, 2013 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, contemporary, anal-play-sex, m-m

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...

Finding love is often a murky and complex road. You have to leave your comfort zone behind. Saving Sean is the second book in the Seattle Stories series by Con Riley. This book can be read as a standalone but if you want to understand everyone involved it helps to read the book prior.

Peter needs to learn to be able to ask for help to be able to help Sean and fall in love in the process. Peter Morse is a paramedic that has taken a job...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...

Finding love is often a murky and complex road. You have to leave your comfort zone behind. Saving Sean is the second book in the Seattle Stories series by Con Riley. This book can be read as a standalone but if you want to understand everyone involved it helps to read the book prior.

Peter needs to learn to be able to ask for help to be able to help Sean and fall in love in the process. Peter Morse is a paramedic that has taken a job training other paramedics in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. Peter has a bad habit of speaking all his thoughts aloud. At the start of the story Peter is infatuated with Theo. He is happy that Theo has found Morgan and wants a similar relationship. He is tired of one night stands. I enjoyed the complex and multi-layered character Peter was.

Sean Reid is a survivor. Kicked out when he was young by his father, Sean has done really well to make his life work. Sean is working to understand his father’s actions and who his father was. Sean is a very complex character. At times I wondered if Sean was just like his father. Sean seems to have trouble verbalizing his feeling and thoughts. He is very moody. It was very hard to understand Sean’s mood swings. Sean also has a tendency to run away from his problems.

The relationship between Peter and Sean is extremely confusing at the beginning and does not really clear up as the story go on. The attraction that drew Peter and Sean to each other is not very evident. Trust is an issue between the two right from the beginning, and it does not help that every thought that goes through Peter’s head comes out his mouth. Still, Peter and Sean have great chemistry together. Peter seems to understand what Sean needs and wants without Sean having to verbalize them.

Maggie is the one character that I could not understand. She came across as a very selfish and self-serving character. She has no compassion for anyone around her. I get that her childhood was rough, but there comes a point in everyone’s life that you have to get over it and move on. It’s almost like she blames Sean for her father’s problems. I hope as the series goes on that she is changes for the better.

The author does a great job of getting you to question, and think about the characters and their lives. She reeled me into the story with the chemistry between Sean and Peter. The author did a great job of letting me try to figure out what is what is going on bit by bit. I had a hard time putting this book down. I loved that this was not a simple love story. I cannot wait to read more from this author.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Macky rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was really pleased that this came out not long after reading 'After Ben' which I adored. This was a great book and carries on the Seattle series with Peters story - who is still hung up on losing his chance with Theo - until he is asked by Theo to find Sean, Maggies brother, a complex multi layered character, who knocks him for six from the word go! Their attraction is instant but Sean is 'skittish' and tends to run ( literally as well as figuratively ) when he feels pushed so they have quite...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Susan Laine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read the first in the series yet, but I read this to the end this morning. Peter is a paramedic, always caring and understanding. Sean is a problematic young man, always on the run and yet always willing to battle against windmills.

The story... The writing was good, but the story felt a little lacking at times. When talking about interaction between characters, this story shines, as everyone from main characters to secondary characters got their chance to show who they were. But the pl...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Perv Pack rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, lgbt

The following is a joint review of both After Ben and it's sequel Saving Sean.

Over the last few years, I have developed a soft spot for m/m fiction. I like stories that are realistic, have depth and mystery, and give me a healthy glimpse into a character's life and growth. After Ben and Con Riley, has all that and more. Richly told, both are stories of love, loss, and finding love all over again.

Let me start with After Ben. Theo Anderson has spent the last year muddling through life under the da...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Lily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-romance, psychological

Since there are already so many thorough reviews, I will keep my thoughts brief. While I appreciated the appeal of 'After Ben', here the story left me quite disappointed. I was looking forward to Peter finding someone to reciprocate his feelings; the one aspect I continued to enjoy was Peter's development as character and the interaction with his father.

From the beginning, I found Maggie's and even Theo's request for Peter to check on Sean presumptuous. Just because Peter did not have someone ho...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Olga rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've got to admit that I enjoyed the first book more that this one, too. I wouldn't call it a disappointing read, though. I like the author's style - it's very comfortable and easy, heart-felt, too. Really gives you all the right feelings.

On the downside, I find it slightly unconvincing when protagonists fall in love after they have known each just for a week. This way it's harder to believe in forever kind of love - which was so beautifully delivered in "After Ben", at least for me.

Also, it w...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Meep rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read this straight after the first book 'After Ben' and found it disappointing, which makes me more critical of niggles. It's an okay book but never steps up from that.

I got into the story quickly but then there was nothing making we want to read on, in many ways it felt like reading a first draft. The main relationship was based entirely on sex with the plot resolved neatly in the last few pages without ever elicting any great emotion.

There's a little too much focus on hoarding and the making s...more Read this straight after the first book 'After Ben' and found it disappointing, which makes me more critical of niggles. It's an okay book but never steps up from that.

I got into the story quickly but then there was nothing making we want to read on, in many ways it felt like reading a first draft. The main relationship was based entirely on sex with the plot resolved neatly in the last few pages without ever elicting any great emotion.

There's a little too much focus on hoarding and the making sense of it. Riley has already proven she can protray grief well and there are moments there that are touching. The threat from the golf club/village, is lessened by being a faceless enemy, which results in turning Maggie into the bad guy - hers are the only actions that visibly cause upset. (view spoiler)

The main characters don't feel fully realised: Peter an EMI selected to spearhead an important trainning program aimed at professionals is someone who voices inappropriate thoughts and never seems to stand his ground.
Sean enters the story as a victim and never shakes that off, to me he came across as a young teenager; towards the end he suddenly has qualifications and is respected in his field (view spoiler)

Side characters - Liked the little glimpse of Morgan though it didn't warm me to Marco. Aiden I had reservations (planted by Vic) of. Peter's father and their relationship was lovely though, I liked the library searches and offer to match-make.

Maggie - I think everyone has already said it. She's scared and grieving which explains some of her attitudes but I'd rather they'd had a big nasty screaming match! It was all suddenly okay, but it felt more like she was brow-beating her brother into agreeing which her terms which is ugly behaviour. She's also the only female character in either book :/

Flashbacks worked in the first book as they related to Ben, I noticed a tendancy to look back but ignored it because I was drawn to the characters. Here I found it frustrating and sometimes confusing to the timeline, to be reading what happened a few hours ago rather than keeping things current.

There was the feel of the characters lining up for the rest of the series:
Aiden-Marco, Evan-Joel, Conner, Vic, the librarian, the other couple amongst Theo's friends (only two named), possibly a het story for Peter's dad...(less)

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Sep 29, 2012 Tami rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was an overall good read, but I was a bit disappointed.

(view spoiler)...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Kukko rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1-app-kindle, a-contemporary, a-erotic, a-romance, character-doctor, character-scientist, series-to-be-read-in-order, sex-mix-m-m

Book 2 of the Seattle Stories series is about Pete (a paramedic) and Sean (a principled but slightly loopy environmentalist).

I was drawn to Pete immediately, probably because I felt he was cheated out of getting the guy (Theo) in Book 1. Fortunately, for Pete he finds a great match in Sean. I am however not totally convinced the illness that plagued Sean's father will skip a generation - the jury is still out on that as far as I am concerned.

Like the first book in the series, this book could hav...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Karel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Broke down the review to parts:

On the writing:

Saving Sean highlights some problems with the writing. These problems existed in After Ben too, but are even worse here in SS.

The story tends to jump ahead, then rewind and explain something that happened earlier. While I've got nothing against that per se, it gets really annoying when pretty much every chapter starts like that - to the point where I don't even know if something is happening now or earlier sometimes.

On the characters:

Then there's the...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Marc rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

My rating is 4.5 stars... But read After Ben first.
I think this book has been reviewed a little unfairly by some, because the first book in the series was just so damn good!
Saving Sean continues the story of Peter (One of Ben's love-interests in book 1) and introduces Sean, Maggie's brother. the story compares favourably to other m/m lit, but doesn't quite meet the standard of After Ben in terms of character development, or complexity of story arc. Where it IS successful is in "world building" -...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Pjm12 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angsty, ebook, hot, lgbt, romantic, sad, sexy, twisty

'Saving Sean' tells Pete's story (from 'After Ben'), but it also gives us more Joel & Evan, and even some Morgan and Aiden. Theo, rightly so, remains in the background, but still there is a change in his life so I hope we get to see more of that in future books.

New secondary characters introduced like Peter's Dad and Jack the librarian add backstory and humour respectively, but of course, this is really the story of Sean and Peter.

Riley does this thing to show the way Pete is totally unfilte...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Liz Winters rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Really great follow up to "After Ben." I loved Peter's character in the first book and was very happy to see him get his own story in the second. I personally may not have paired him up with someone like Sean, but as their relationship evolved I completely bought into it and was happy to go along for the ride. The supporting cast of characters was great (even the "stupid f-ing chickens")and I was especially thrilled with the renewed relationship between Peter and his father. If I have any critic...more

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May 20, 2013 Lauren Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

After really loving the first book in the series I was very eager to start the second one. Now, it wasn't that I was disappointed with this book, I did enjoy reading it and I like the characters they introduced, but I feel like there is a disconnect between this book and the first one.

This could just be me, but when the first book ended kind of abruptly, I expected to see a bit of a continuation in the second book along with the new storyline. Instead it seemed to be like that book was out of s...more

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Dreamspinner Press: Saving Sean by Con Riley	2	74	Sep 25, 2012 06:33am

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Romance > M M Romance

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Contemporary

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Romance

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M M Romance > M M Contemporary

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Romance > Contemporary Romance

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Adult Fiction > Erotica

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Glbt

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About Con Riley

Con Riley lives on the wild and rugged Devonshire coast, with her head in the clouds, and her feet in the Atlantic Ocean.

Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time instead. Love, loss and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.

When not people watching, or wrangling her own bo...more

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