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Beach Duo #1
The Charlie Factor
One, recovering from near deadly injuries; the other, unaware of what he’s been missing in his life. What one man can do, may heal them both.
Charlie Baker is recovering, slowly. Nearly dying tends to make a man reflect on each day. Take into account that his injuries were caused by a premeditated murder attempt, and he certainly isn’t looking for a lover. He is barely welcoming to a friend unable to trust anyone, preferring to hide from the world hours and miles away from the memories.
Gregory Anders hadn’t intended to disturb the man in silent contemplation on the beach, but when his pup, Samson, takes matters out of his hands, he’s forced to at least apologize for his pet’s behavior. There’s no doubt for Gregory that Charlie could use a friend. Clearing the air up front that he isn’t gay helps Charlie to relax, allowing for the cautious beginning of a friendship.
Two men, both alone, for different reasons. What happens when friendship bears more? When support and affection turns into attraction?
Do you take the chance of a lifetime, for the love a lifetime?
Charlie Baker is recovering, slowly. Nearly dying tends to make a man reflect on each day. Take into account that his injuries were caused by a premeditated murder attempt, and he certainly isn’t looking for a lover. He is barely welcoming to a friend unable to trust anyone, preferring to hide from the world hours and miles away from the memories.
Gregory Anders hadn’t intended to disturb the man in silent contemplation on the beach, but when his pup, Samson, takes matters out of his hands, he’s forced to at least apologize for his pet’s behavior. There’s no doubt for Gregory that Charlie could use a friend. Clearing the air up front that he isn’t gay helps Charlie to relax, allowing for the cautious beginning of a friendship.
Two men, both alone, for different reasons. What happens when friendship bears more? When support and affection turns into attraction?
Do you take the chance of a lifetime, for the love a lifetime?
Nook
First published March 17, 2011
14 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
About the author
Diana DeRicci
71 books186 followersDiana DeRicci is the sexy, flirty pen name of Diana Castilleja. A romance author at heart, DeRicci’s writing takes you into a saucier spectrum of sensuality and sexual adventure, where a happily-ever-after is still the key to any story.
Diana lives in Central Texas with her husband, one son and a feisty little Chihuahua named Rascal.
Diana lives in Central Texas with her husband, one son and a feisty little Chihuahua named Rascal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
October 1, 2012
The development and sentence structuring are off and are distracting to me. Plus, I'm just kinda bored; it's not pulling me in, not resonating, not holding or providing any emotional depth. What Charlie's ex did to him is horrific, yes, but the writing doesn't really allow me to feel it. Then, too, my mind keeps taking me back to the similar and superbly written The Rebuilding Year and this one isn't cutting the mustard in comparison.
While not terrible, this book isn't arresting and I just couldn't make myself immune enough to the weird writing at times or to my boredom...so no.
While not terrible, this book isn't arresting and I just couldn't make myself immune enough to the weird writing at times or to my boredom...so no.
April 30, 2013
This has a strong hurt and comfort theme. Gregory meets and befriends Charlie, a man terribly hurt, both physically and emotionally.
Gregory finds himself with feelings towards Charlie that he has never felt before. "It's like something that was missing has finally clicked, but I never knew it was missing to begin with because I've never been in this situation." He has always considered himself straight. It takes one of his friends to give him the push needed to explore these feelings.
"Maybe the package happiness comes in wouldn't be such a controversy if more people honestly cherished the happiness to begin with."
Charlie also has to battle his demons, to work out a way to put the past behind him so that he can move on.
I enjoyed the way both characters were portrayed, their vulnerability and the struggles they faced.
Favourite line is from Charlie's sister: "It's time you acted like the man that dick you were born with proves you to be."
4.5 stars
Gregory finds himself with feelings towards Charlie that he has never felt before. "It's like something that was missing has finally clicked, but I never knew it was missing to begin with because I've never been in this situation." He has always considered himself straight. It takes one of his friends to give him the push needed to explore these feelings.
"Maybe the package happiness comes in wouldn't be such a controversy if more people honestly cherished the happiness to begin with."
Charlie also has to battle his demons, to work out a way to put the past behind him so that he can move on.
I enjoyed the way both characters were portrayed, their vulnerability and the struggles they faced.
Favourite line is from Charlie's sister: "It's time you acted like the man that dick you were born with proves you to be."
4.5 stars
April 17, 2012
I've meant to read this for quite a while now. I originally put it off for the angst factor, but it ended up not being nearly as angsty as I expected. I liked both characters even though Charlie pissed me off sometimes, and I absolutely adored Gregory.
I think that there were two things that made this work for me, even though I did end the story thinking it was just very good, rather than wonderful:
1) The GFY plot is difficult to sometimes pull off, if I believe I'm supposed to take it seriously, in a story such as this. It does take a certain suspension of belief to get me to trust a character that was straight suddenly fall in love with a man. I think it can really only work (for me) if the man in question comes to terms that he might have been gay all along and is only, for some reason, now realizing it. That is, after all, something that does happen, if a gay man really doesn't want to admit for some reason or another that they're gay. And, looking at that from another direction, that does look an awful lot like GFY. So this part of the story worked for me and I enjoyed it.
2) I do sometimes get upset with contemporary romances because it feels like the story always starts after some traumatic event. Now, I realize it takes conflict and a place for a story to grow to push a plot forward, but I don't see how anyone could really argue with me that it seems like the more I read the more drastic these past traumas become. And then, as a consequence, the past traumas all seem to blur together for me and no matter how horrible something would be in real life, it ends up making less of an impact than it should.
Even though it wasn't really explored with any extent, the fact that a criminal plot was involved with this one and jail time did make Charlie's past differ for once from those other blurry characters and I felt like the ensuing drama for Charlie did in fact make more sense. Even though part of me wants to scoff a bit (which makes me feel a little heartless, I will admit) that Charlie's past has taken one more drastic measure over the others, I thought it was actually dealt with well and, in the end, I thought the author made it work. So, she made a believer of me, thankfully.
I'm excited now to read RJ's story, and then go back and read Josh and Laurence's prequel.
I think that there were two things that made this work for me, even though I did end the story thinking it was just very good, rather than wonderful:
1) The GFY plot is difficult to sometimes pull off, if I believe I'm supposed to take it seriously, in a story such as this. It does take a certain suspension of belief to get me to trust a character that was straight suddenly fall in love with a man. I think it can really only work (for me) if the man in question comes to terms that he might have been gay all along and is only, for some reason, now realizing it. That is, after all, something that does happen, if a gay man really doesn't want to admit for some reason or another that they're gay. And, looking at that from another direction, that does look an awful lot like GFY. So this part of the story worked for me and I enjoyed it.
2) I do sometimes get upset with contemporary romances because it feels like the story always starts after some traumatic event. Now, I realize it takes conflict and a place for a story to grow to push a plot forward, but I don't see how anyone could really argue with me that it seems like the more I read the more drastic these past traumas become. And then, as a consequence, the past traumas all seem to blur together for me and no matter how horrible something would be in real life, it ends up making less of an impact than it should.
Even though it wasn't really explored with any extent, the fact that a criminal plot was involved with this one and jail time did make Charlie's past differ for once from those other blurry characters and I felt like the ensuing drama for Charlie did in fact make more sense. Even though part of me wants to scoff a bit (which makes me feel a little heartless, I will admit) that Charlie's past has taken one more drastic measure over the others, I thought it was actually dealt with well and, in the end, I thought the author made it work. So, she made a believer of me, thankfully.
I'm excited now to read RJ's story, and then go back and read Josh and Laurence's prequel.
December 2, 2011
Oh, Gregory, Gregory, Gregory. You stole my heart in this one. I've never met a character like you, epecially not in a GFY story. You knew what you wanted and, not caring what package it came in, you went after it with all your heart. I liked Charlie, but I loved you Gregory.
This is the story of a damaged gay man and a lonely straight man. But, honestly, that is simplifying it way too much. Charlie is an ex fire fighter who was almost killed by his ex lover. Gregory is a straight man who moved from all his friends and family in California to the coast of Texas. They meet and form a tentative friendship. But due to Charlie's difficult situation and Greg's extremely caring nature, they are thrown together in a few interesting situations that have them getting a lot closer a lot faster than either of them planned to. It doesn't take Greg too long to realize he cares deeply for Charlie. This is where similarities to other GFY stories end. When Greg decides to go gay for Charlie, he goes all in. There is no self doubt, no fear of life changing occurrences, no shame. He realizes how precious Charlie is, and pulls no punches. I loved how the roles were reversed & Greg was the one leading the charge in all the sexual situations with Charlie. He dove in head first and never came up for air. He didn't take any shit from anyone, and he was amazingly witty. *sigh*
In fact, the only angst comes from Charlie and his fear of falling in love again after being hurt so badly. Not that anyone can blame him, but still Gregory never gives up on him. Ok, let me say it again. I am in love with Gregory. And I'm off to start the sequel, even with it's less than stellar reviews, just so I can get a little more Greg.
This is the story of a damaged gay man and a lonely straight man. But, honestly, that is simplifying it way too much. Charlie is an ex fire fighter who was almost killed by his ex lover. Gregory is a straight man who moved from all his friends and family in California to the coast of Texas. They meet and form a tentative friendship. But due to Charlie's difficult situation and Greg's extremely caring nature, they are thrown together in a few interesting situations that have them getting a lot closer a lot faster than either of them planned to. It doesn't take Greg too long to realize he cares deeply for Charlie. This is where similarities to other GFY stories end. When Greg decides to go gay for Charlie, he goes all in. There is no self doubt, no fear of life changing occurrences, no shame. He realizes how precious Charlie is, and pulls no punches. I loved how the roles were reversed & Greg was the one leading the charge in all the sexual situations with Charlie. He dove in head first and never came up for air. He didn't take any shit from anyone, and he was amazingly witty. *sigh*
In fact, the only angst comes from Charlie and his fear of falling in love again after being hurt so badly. Not that anyone can blame him, but still Gregory never gives up on him. Ok, let me say it again. I am in love with Gregory. And I'm off to start the sequel, even with it's less than stellar reviews, just so I can get a little more Greg.
March 20, 2011
3.5 stars
It's a gay for you story ... I like Charlie as a "tortured" hero (what can I say, I love me some angst hero who is not too whiny :p) is make up for good storyline. I like following his story, trying to rebuild his life again after the attempt murder by his ex-boyfriend. Even if he starts as someone who seems in too deep with his scars (physically and mentally) but at the end of the story, he seems to heal good.
While Greg, even if he starts off first by telling Charlie that he is straight, but he has three best friends who are all gay, so he doesn't wallow in "am I or am I not" gay factor too long; which is nice. I enjoy the push and pull factor, considering that Greg falls for Charlie hard, but Charlie, still broken inside after what happened with his ex-love, is not yet ready to move on to a new relationship. It makes up for good conflict.
I don't particularly care about the sex scenes, I end up skimming most of it. NOT the book's fault, I'm just not in the mood *shrugs*
PS: Greg's dog, Samson, is cute
It's a gay for you story ... I like Charlie as a "tortured" hero (what can I say, I love me some angst hero who is not too whiny :p) is make up for good storyline. I like following his story, trying to rebuild his life again after the attempt murder by his ex-boyfriend. Even if he starts as someone who seems in too deep with his scars (physically and mentally) but at the end of the story, he seems to heal good.
While Greg, even if he starts off first by telling Charlie that he is straight, but he has three best friends who are all gay, so he doesn't wallow in "am I or am I not" gay factor too long; which is nice. I enjoy the push and pull factor, considering that Greg falls for Charlie hard, but Charlie, still broken inside after what happened with his ex-love, is not yet ready to move on to a new relationship. It makes up for good conflict.
I don't particularly care about the sex scenes, I end up skimming most of it. NOT the book's fault, I'm just not in the mood *shrugs*
PS: Greg's dog, Samson, is cute
February 6, 2017
I definitely liked it less than my GR friends did. For some reason I never got the emotional closeness between Charlie and Greg, for me it was a case of "lust equals love". I found Greg's transition from straight to gay incredibly smooth and though I don't mind that when the book doesn't pretend to take itself seriously (Straight Men series by Alessandra Hazard is a big favorite of mine), it didn't work here for me since the book's tone was much more serious and realistic (?). I also skipped most of the sex scenes after a point, which always mean I didn't feel connected to this couple. Plus, I felt the writting was weird, I often had to read phrases 2-3 times and still couldn't understand what the author was trying to say. But english is not my native language, so perhaps it was just me *shrugs*.
July 2, 2017
Haven't read this book in years, and while I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I did back then, there are certainly parts that are still really good. The whole gay-for-you (with nary a mention of bisexuality) was a bit too old-school m/m for my tastes, and the sex tended to overpower the characters and plot when it finally got happening, but there were still two really great characters in this. It was also a real quick read, and it wasn't something I regret spending a few hours on.
3.25 stars
3.25 stars
April 29, 2011
Charlie, a former firefighter, is recovering from nearly dying in a fire set by his ex. He needs to walk with a cane, is badly scarred, his leg damaged, and can never work again. To top it off, once his coworkers found out he was gay they pretty much shunned him. He's moved to the beach and one day Gregory's dog comes over to say hi. Charlie is stand-offish, but when Greg helps him avoid a sink-hole they become friends even though Greg is straight. Charlie is attracted for the first time since the accident, and Greg is starting to get freaked out as well because he's feeling things for a guy. When Greg goes home to California for Thanksgiving he talks to some of his gay friends and he admits he may be gay. When he goes back he's determined to make a move. Charlie's resistant at first and there is some mini-drama but they work things out, and it's going well until while out walking the dog, Charlie falls and then shuns Greg because he doesn't feel worthy. Greg decides to move back to California for a job, will there be any chance for them? It's nice to have a scarred hero, someone who's not perfect and Greg didn't care about the scars or disability. Of course Charlie was a total ass about the "I'm not good enough thing" and Greg's dad doesn't take to well to the "I'm gay" declaration, but his friends were great and Charlie's sister was good at kicking his ass. So it's a nice GFY with a handicapped hero.
Read
July 2, 2023Read 11/10/2013
Reread 4/3/2016 I stopped while I was ahead. It's obvious my tastes have changed quite a bit since originally reading this. I won't change my original rating, and I will put this with my other pleasant memories of my introduction to m/m.
7/1/2023 why didn’t I remember my previous bad reaction to trying to read this again? I need some crackers to go with the cheese. The continuous comparisons to his female relationships. The really cheesy (and not sexy) dirty talk. Man. I’m sure I’ll do this again (reread without remembering that I no longer like this book)…. I’m also removing my rating. Sentiment can only go so far. LOL
Reread 4/3/2016 I stopped while I was ahead. It's obvious my tastes have changed quite a bit since originally reading this. I won't change my original rating, and I will put this with my other pleasant memories of my introduction to m/m.
7/1/2023 why didn’t I remember my previous bad reaction to trying to read this again? I need some crackers to go with the cheese. The continuous comparisons to his female relationships. The really cheesy (and not sexy) dirty talk. Man. I’m sure I’ll do this again (reread without remembering that I no longer like this book)…. I’m also removing my rating. Sentiment can only go so far. LOL
March 15, 2012
I chose this book because I was in the mood for something achingly romantic but not too sugar sweet. I suppose this fit the bill, but the writing was just so bad I couldn't enjoy it. I mean, I've certainly read worse, but... yeah. It didn't do much for me.
I'm usually one to enjoy terms of endearment, but the overuse of the words "babe" and "baby" had me near vomiting here. There were also a lot of fights/break-ups that were based on nothing at all. They made no sense. And the 0-60 of the gay for you portion just wasn't enjoyable.
Not my favorite.
I'm usually one to enjoy terms of endearment, but the overuse of the words "babe" and "baby" had me near vomiting here. There were also a lot of fights/break-ups that were based on nothing at all. They made no sense. And the 0-60 of the gay for you portion just wasn't enjoyable.
Not my favorite.
December 18, 2013
Another exciting read from this author. I tend to love the unrealistic Gay For You trope reads. This one seems to try to make more sense of the trope than most. Both Charlie and Greg are the masculine-type men, that makes this hot read flammable. LOTS of sex, but isn't that what makes people fall in love? It's the chemistry, and these two have lots of chemistry. I'm going for a glass of wine and a cigarette now.
June 24, 2017
I wish I had followed my initial gut feeling and stopped reading after the first huge editing error at the beginning of the book, but instead I soldiered on until I gave up about half way though. The first scene is told from Charlie's perspective. When Charlie and Greg first meet, Greg introduces himself by name while Charlie, pointedly neglects to share his own name. We then switch to Greg's viewpoint as he continues on his way. He thinks about the meeting and repeatedly refers to the other man, by his name, Charlie, despite not having been given that information. At first I wondered if he had been stalking Charlie and already knew who he was, but no, the author couldn't manage basic continuity from one scene to the next.
It didn't get any better. Charlie's back story is totally over the top, but the author ignores all of the implications, glossing over everything except the injuries from the accident. You would think that Charlie would be obsessed with figuring out how he could have misjudged his past lover and second guessing his ability to accurately gauge someone's trustworthiness, but nope, he never thinks about his last relationship, except how it ended. Oddly, nobody seems to know anything about Charlie's backstory without being told about it, despite the fact that this kind of thing would have been national news.
I never for a second believed that Charlie had been a closeted fireman, living secretly with his lover in a homophobic part of the country. That would have been a very stressful existence, but again that's not something Charlie ever thinks about. Like so many MM books written by women, Charlie seemed if not womanly - at least not the kind of guy who could pull off straight surrounded by a bunch of macho dudes night and day. Actually, he came across more as a teenager given to overly romantic sexual fantasies than a grown man.
Greg, like so many GFY characters was ridiculous. One look at Charlie and he instantly turned in his straight card. Of course no relationship with any woman had every equaled the emotional connection and sexual lust he feels with Charlie, which begs the question why on earth he was so convinced that he was straight. The relationship is by turns boring and rushed. One contrived scene after the next, in which Charlie needs assistance due to his injury with Greg always conveniently on hand. One wonders how Charlie survived on his own, prior to their meeting.
The writing is awkward. Frequently sentences don't mean what the author thinks they mean, or were just plain unintelligible. I found myself laughing out loud at the sex scenes which were a weird mash up of cliched phrases, interspersed with really unfortunate creative word choices.
I have read so many MM books, and you would think I would realize by now, that the bar is really, really low for this genre and yet I continue to be amazed.
It didn't get any better. Charlie's back story is totally over the top, but the author ignores all of the implications, glossing over everything except the injuries from the accident. You would think that Charlie would be obsessed with figuring out how he could have misjudged his past lover and second guessing his ability to accurately gauge someone's trustworthiness, but nope, he never thinks about his last relationship, except how it ended. Oddly, nobody seems to know anything about Charlie's backstory without being told about it, despite the fact that this kind of thing would have been national news.
I never for a second believed that Charlie had been a closeted fireman, living secretly with his lover in a homophobic part of the country. That would have been a very stressful existence, but again that's not something Charlie ever thinks about. Like so many MM books written by women, Charlie seemed if not womanly - at least not the kind of guy who could pull off straight surrounded by a bunch of macho dudes night and day. Actually, he came across more as a teenager given to overly romantic sexual fantasies than a grown man.
Greg, like so many GFY characters was ridiculous. One look at Charlie and he instantly turned in his straight card. Of course no relationship with any woman had every equaled the emotional connection and sexual lust he feels with Charlie, which begs the question why on earth he was so convinced that he was straight. The relationship is by turns boring and rushed. One contrived scene after the next, in which Charlie needs assistance due to his injury with Greg always conveniently on hand. One wonders how Charlie survived on his own, prior to their meeting.
The writing is awkward. Frequently sentences don't mean what the author thinks they mean, or were just plain unintelligible. I found myself laughing out loud at the sex scenes which were a weird mash up of cliched phrases, interspersed with really unfortunate creative word choices.
I have read so many MM books, and you would think I would realize by now, that the bar is really, really low for this genre and yet I continue to be amazed.
April 4, 2011
A Whipped Cream 'BEST BOOK'!
“Charlie would happily drop to his knees and nuzzle what lay behind zipper number one.” What a sentence to latch on to when it comes to reading a hot M/M narrative. The Charlie Factor is a love story that played on my heart as a reader and prevented me from laying the book down until the end. Gregory was experienced in the art of lovemaking, just not with a man, but when he falls for Charlie, he is more than willing to learn how to make him happy.
The first thing to come to mind when I closed this book was -- WOW! Have you ever read a book that was so good you had to take a step back and analyze everything that you liked about it before you could put it in words, or tell others how great it was without giving away the plot? This book has it all: pain, fear, tears, laughter, and love that come with courting and building a lasting relationship. The blurb does not even come close to doing this book justice because there is so much action and emotional vibes between the pages of this book that it will leave you thunderstruck.
Ms. DeRicci dazzled and floored me with her writing talent and her quick-witted phrases and lines that hooked me and reeled me into an incredible scheme that left me speechless all the way through the story. I fell in love with the characters: Gregory and his high wattage personalities and Charlie who had shut out the world and was afraid to trust again. Add in an overly energetic lab puppy who loves everyone and knows how to break the ice between the two and you have a story that's a winner.
I guarantee that you do not want to miss an incredible tale that has just about everything you could ask for in a romance story be it M/M or any other kind. Just make sure you have a fan handy to cool you off while reading. The Charlie Factor turned me upside down and left me in a state of admiration for the author’s imagination and skill in telling such a beautiful yarn. Because of the beauty of this story I must give this book a Best Book rating and recommend it as a must read.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
“Charlie would happily drop to his knees and nuzzle what lay behind zipper number one.” What a sentence to latch on to when it comes to reading a hot M/M narrative. The Charlie Factor is a love story that played on my heart as a reader and prevented me from laying the book down until the end. Gregory was experienced in the art of lovemaking, just not with a man, but when he falls for Charlie, he is more than willing to learn how to make him happy.
The first thing to come to mind when I closed this book was -- WOW! Have you ever read a book that was so good you had to take a step back and analyze everything that you liked about it before you could put it in words, or tell others how great it was without giving away the plot? This book has it all: pain, fear, tears, laughter, and love that come with courting and building a lasting relationship. The blurb does not even come close to doing this book justice because there is so much action and emotional vibes between the pages of this book that it will leave you thunderstruck.
Ms. DeRicci dazzled and floored me with her writing talent and her quick-witted phrases and lines that hooked me and reeled me into an incredible scheme that left me speechless all the way through the story. I fell in love with the characters: Gregory and his high wattage personalities and Charlie who had shut out the world and was afraid to trust again. Add in an overly energetic lab puppy who loves everyone and knows how to break the ice between the two and you have a story that's a winner.
I guarantee that you do not want to miss an incredible tale that has just about everything you could ask for in a romance story be it M/M or any other kind. Just make sure you have a fan handy to cool you off while reading. The Charlie Factor turned me upside down and left me in a state of admiration for the author’s imagination and skill in telling such a beautiful yarn. Because of the beauty of this story I must give this book a Best Book rating and recommend it as a must read.
Originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
April 11, 2012
The Charlie Factor reminded why I usually skip books with injured characters. They let those injuries define who they are. They hide behind them and use them as an excuse to close themselves off. Charlie almost lost his partner because he let his insecurities cripple him. During their fights, I sometimes hoped it would be their last one. Whatever Gregory did, he couldn't make Charlie believe in his love for him. Charlie thought so little of Greg and it made me feel sorry for him. It didn't seem to matter how much time they spent together. In the back of his mind, Charlie was always prepared for their break-up. He hid behind his injuries. He used them as an excuse to avoid commitment. I didn't doubt Charlie's love for Gregory, but I did have doubts about whether or not they would make it. If the foundation for your relationship is that fragile, how can it possibly last? If the author kept them in character the whole time, I'm not sure they would have ended up together. The ending was sweet, but contrived as hell.
Overall, I give this book a 2.5/5 stars. It was a mediocre GFY story. I don't think you would miss anything skipping it.
Overall, I give this book a 2.5/5 stars. It was a mediocre GFY story. I don't think you would miss anything skipping it.
July 31, 2020
This was more like 2.5 stars for me. I really never liked Charlie. For being an ex-fireman he seemed pretty weak all around. Now Greg I liked. I liked how the guys met on the beach. Now since I live in Houston it would have been nice if the author gave the town Ben and Charlie lived in a name; even if it was a made up name. I kept trying to figure out where they were that was two hours from Houston and on the coast. Then I think the trip was four hours another time.
I wish authors would be a tad bit more realistic when we have a straight guy turn gay. For me it was so unrealistic for Greg to be so open to rimming Charlie. Asking him "is this too much?" WTF? No wonder I LOVE Faith & Fidelity so much.
I wish authors would be a tad bit more realistic when we have a straight guy turn gay. For me it was so unrealistic for Greg to be so open to rimming Charlie. Asking him "is this too much?" WTF? No wonder I LOVE Faith & Fidelity so much.
August 25, 2013
I almost didn't read this book because of all the less than stellar reviews...boy am I glad I gave it a chance. I loved this book! It was sweet and romantic just when I was looking for a bit of sweetness and romance (I just finished S.U. Pacat's The Captive Prince which was amazing but intense...no sweetness or romance:-). Give The Charlie Factor a chance. You may love it as much as I did! ...now on to the sequel...
May 14, 2012
Very good m/m romance about a former firefighter slowly recovering after nearly dying in a murderous fire. He's befriended by a straight guy who finds himself developing very confusing feelings for his new friend.
April 10, 2011
Some readers may be put off by the fact that this is GFY, but don't be. The author made considerable effort to deal with this particular theme. Not only in terms of the protags, but also the reactions of their families and friends. Quite a different approach and worth the read for that alone.
March 3, 2013
2.5
The plot had premise and the characters were likable. Unfortunately, most of the book is sex and the dialogue combined with the sheer amount of terms of endearment was not for me. Who says, "I"m going to make you shatter, sexy baby?" during sex?
The plot had premise and the characters were likable. Unfortunately, most of the book is sex and the dialogue combined with the sheer amount of terms of endearment was not for me. Who says, "I"m going to make you shatter, sexy baby?" during sex?
July 11, 2012
Charlie pisses me off an I haven't quite forgiven him yet, even if I understand his reasons. Greg is delicious, though he forgives easily. I would have loved more groveling.
And Elizabeth. I haven't read het in a while, but I would love to read her story.
And Elizabeth. I haven't read het in a while, but I would love to read her story.
April 23, 2011
Главному герою периодически очень хочется дать по шее, чтобы он наконец-то перестал ныть высокохудожественно страдать и таки занялся делом, но в остальном все достойно.
April 17, 2012
3.6 I really wanted to love love this but Charlie Charlie Charlie annoyed me cos I loved loved Greg so much!!
October 1, 2017
A non stop read. Charlie isn't looking for anything except solitude and time to heal, physically and emotionally. Enter Gregory, out for a jog on the beach with his dog Sampson. Sampson decides to introduce himself to Charlie, who seems to need a friend. Soon the two men find friendship, but is there more? Gregory has been straight his whole life, but there is something about Charlie that attracts him like no woman ever has. Charlie has been permanently damaged by his ex and isn't sure he'll ever find someone, or be able to trust anyone again, especially someone who can see him beyond the scars. A very engaging story. There are times when you just want to jump in and give Charlie a good shake to get him to see what he's found in Gregory.
November 26, 2021
I am so mad at Charlie. He has left Greg not once but twice and Greg accepted him without making him grovel much. Ugh! I so want to see Charlie grovel and beg for forgiveness for taking unilateral decisions about their relationship. He was a hypocrite, in one of the scenes, he gets angry thinking Greg has manipulated him and tell him to "talk" to him next time. But when it comes to his own issues, he clams up and just shuts Greg out without even giving him the courtesy of breaking up with him face to face. On top of this, he just says sorry and Greg just accepts him. Arrghhh!
February 15, 2019
Three Stars
ANGST…over the top to the point of almost ruining the story.
ANGST…over the top to the point of almost ruining the story.
July 3, 2020
This was was just so-so for me. Something about the writing I just didn’t click with. I liked the story and two MCs.
May 17, 2012
I really liked this but man did I have issues with a few things.
There's Charlie, who in the very recent past, had almost died when his lover drugged him and set his house on fire (trying to kill him) and left him disabled. I have read other reviews where people have complained about Charlie and how the "I'm not good enough for you because I'm disabled" spiel got old pretty quick. I had no issue with that in the beginning..... even toward the middle of the book.... because I could pretty much see where he was coming from.
I really liked Greg, as I did in the prequel (Josh and Laurence's story). Greg was just the perfect character. While he was nervous about what he was feeling for Charlie he didn't let that keep him from going after him once he realized that it was Charlie that he wanted. He accepted (rather quickly) the fact that he was interested in a man when in all his years he had only been with women. The only issue I had with Greg at all and it wasn't just HIM it was something throughout the entire book that totally bothered me... something I noticed with Josh in "Glitter" as well. The "I'm gay" over and over. Okayyyyy.... you're gay. We figured that out I think. You're not bi (which actually makes more sense considering that you have never, EVER shown any interest in a man before now and was practically engaged to a woman in the prequel), you're gay... we get it... really, we do. But seriously, he was an all around awesome character. He was very patient with Charlie and he was just a good guy.
The story was going along great... I could see where it was headed and liked it. Then Greg came out to his mother on the phone and he practically begged her not to tell his dad because he wanted to tell him face to face which definitely made sense. But "Mom" doesn't allow her son to tell dear old Dad on his own. She had to do it for him which was totally wrong. This wasn't like a kid failing a test in school and asking his mother not to tell his dad. This was a major thing and Greg's mother should have allowed Greg to do it his way... regardless of how she felt about it. That bothered me... obviously. So Greg gets a nasty call from his dad after his mom had betrayed his trust and his dad treats him horribly and basically hangs up on him. That night...... literally THAT night... only minutes after the call from Greg's dad, Charlie takes the dog out for a walk and has his accident. This is where the book took a fatal turn for me. One of the worst nights of Greg's life... he was upset over his dad and then Charlie gets hurt and has to be rushed to the hospital. Charlie was too much of a child to allow Greg in to see him when it was Greg who made sure he got the help he needed. Did I mention this was one of the worst nights of Greg's life BEFORE Charlie's accident? And then Charlie abandons him because of his own self-doubts? It almost didn't recover after that. Charlie refuses to see or speak with Greg... ends up running home to his parents' house because he didn't have the guts to break it off or whatever he was going to do with Greg... he just ran and hid. Greg never gave up until he finally had no choice. All of that bothered me.
I was pretty happy with the way things did come together though. I still no longer liked Charlie but the ending was pretty good. I still loved Greg at the end but Charlie's abandoning Greg earlier killed anything I had had for him. He kind of redeems himself but not much in my opinion.
Overall, not a bad book. It just took a turn I was not at all happy with. I'm sure I will read R.J.'s story at some point. Probably sooner rather than later. We know he is gay going in so I'm thinking it won't be like this one or Glitter in regards to the gay for you theme.
There's Charlie, who in the very recent past, had almost died when his lover drugged him and set his house on fire (trying to kill him) and left him disabled. I have read other reviews where people have complained about Charlie and how the "I'm not good enough for you because I'm disabled" spiel got old pretty quick. I had no issue with that in the beginning..... even toward the middle of the book.... because I could pretty much see where he was coming from.
I really liked Greg, as I did in the prequel (Josh and Laurence's story). Greg was just the perfect character. While he was nervous about what he was feeling for Charlie he didn't let that keep him from going after him once he realized that it was Charlie that he wanted. He accepted (rather quickly) the fact that he was interested in a man when in all his years he had only been with women. The only issue I had with Greg at all and it wasn't just HIM it was something throughout the entire book that totally bothered me... something I noticed with Josh in "Glitter" as well. The "I'm gay" over and over. Okayyyyy.... you're gay. We figured that out I think. You're not bi (which actually makes more sense considering that you have never, EVER shown any interest in a man before now and was practically engaged to a woman in the prequel), you're gay... we get it... really, we do. But seriously, he was an all around awesome character. He was very patient with Charlie and he was just a good guy.
The story was going along great... I could see where it was headed and liked it. Then Greg came out to his mother on the phone and he practically begged her not to tell his dad because he wanted to tell him face to face which definitely made sense. But "Mom" doesn't allow her son to tell dear old Dad on his own. She had to do it for him which was totally wrong. This wasn't like a kid failing a test in school and asking his mother not to tell his dad. This was a major thing and Greg's mother should have allowed Greg to do it his way... regardless of how she felt about it. That bothered me... obviously. So Greg gets a nasty call from his dad after his mom had betrayed his trust and his dad treats him horribly and basically hangs up on him. That night...... literally THAT night... only minutes after the call from Greg's dad, Charlie takes the dog out for a walk and has his accident. This is where the book took a fatal turn for me. One of the worst nights of Greg's life... he was upset over his dad and then Charlie gets hurt and has to be rushed to the hospital. Charlie was too much of a child to allow Greg in to see him when it was Greg who made sure he got the help he needed. Did I mention this was one of the worst nights of Greg's life BEFORE Charlie's accident? And then Charlie abandons him because of his own self-doubts? It almost didn't recover after that. Charlie refuses to see or speak with Greg... ends up running home to his parents' house because he didn't have the guts to break it off or whatever he was going to do with Greg... he just ran and hid. Greg never gave up until he finally had no choice. All of that bothered me.
I was pretty happy with the way things did come together though. I still no longer liked Charlie but the ending was pretty good. I still loved Greg at the end but Charlie's abandoning Greg earlier killed anything I had had for him. He kind of redeems himself but not much in my opinion.
Overall, not a bad book. It just took a turn I was not at all happy with. I'm sure I will read R.J.'s story at some point. Probably sooner rather than later. We know he is gay going in so I'm thinking it won't be like this one or Glitter in regards to the gay for you theme.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2017
The one thing that I’m sure everyone agrees upon is that Greg is a freaking awesome guy. I’m not a big fan of GFY stories, but if they all had a character like Gregory, I’d easily become one.
So, what makes Gregory so amazing? It’s not his golden blond hair, his warm brown eyes or his sexy body. Well, those too, but it’s more than that. It’s his personality and the way he deals with problems and unexpected feelings.
One day at the beach he meets Charlie and the two of them start being friends, despite Charlie’s insecurities. Greg has always considered himself straight, but after meeting Charlie he starts having unexpected feelings for him and begins to wonder if it can be more than friendship between them. What’s great about Greg is that he doesn’t panic, he’s not overly angsty, he’s not trying to sleep with a woman to prove to himself that he’s straight, he doesn’t drink himself into oblivion, doesn’t pick fights in bars, doesn’t punch walls or random strangers. He’s not mad at himself. He’s just trying to understand what’s happening to him. And when he finally knows what he wants he decides to fight for it at all costs.
Most of the drama comes from Charlie, who’s still recovering – physically and mentally – from the fact that his cheating ex-boyfriend, being a sick fuck, tried to kill him by setting the house on fire. He lost his job, his friends, his trust in people. He’s become a recluse. And then came Greg, caring and sweet, constantly saying how Charlie’s injuries make no difference to him, telling Charlie how sexy and incredible he is.
I loved how after Thanksgiving, Greg gets ready to see Charlie after being apart for a week, carefully choosing his clothes, feeling nervous like a teenager, unsure of what will happen next. I also loved the dirty bed talk.
What I didn’t like was the way sexuality is perceived. The author seems to see sexuality in black and white, but there’s whole Kinsey scale and to me Greg appeared to be in the grey area. A Kinsey 1 to be precise - predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual. He’s always been attracted to women, he almost married one, and then he meets Charlie and falls in love with him. This doesn’t annihilate his past, though. He can’t say in a definite voice “I’m gay.” Being in love with a guy doesn’t automatically mean being gay.
Besides that, I was slightly annoyed by all the sex in the beginning of their relationship (listen to me, complaining about too much sex!). It felt a little gratuitous and it could have been easily resolved by focusing on other things than their relationship. At some point Charlie and Greg have a fight and stay apart for four days, but those four days are only two pages in the book. It wasn’t enough for me too feel their pain and to wish for them to get back together. I would also have liked to see the Christmas dinner. It would have been a great opportunity for some secondary character development.
All in all, it’s a great book and because I love Greg so much I’ll give it 4 stars.
So, what makes Gregory so amazing? It’s not his golden blond hair, his warm brown eyes or his sexy body. Well, those too, but it’s more than that. It’s his personality and the way he deals with problems and unexpected feelings.
One day at the beach he meets Charlie and the two of them start being friends, despite Charlie’s insecurities. Greg has always considered himself straight, but after meeting Charlie he starts having unexpected feelings for him and begins to wonder if it can be more than friendship between them. What’s great about Greg is that he doesn’t panic, he’s not overly angsty, he’s not trying to sleep with a woman to prove to himself that he’s straight, he doesn’t drink himself into oblivion, doesn’t pick fights in bars, doesn’t punch walls or random strangers. He’s not mad at himself. He’s just trying to understand what’s happening to him. And when he finally knows what he wants he decides to fight for it at all costs.
Most of the drama comes from Charlie, who’s still recovering – physically and mentally – from the fact that his cheating ex-boyfriend, being a sick fuck, tried to kill him by setting the house on fire. He lost his job, his friends, his trust in people. He’s become a recluse. And then came Greg, caring and sweet, constantly saying how Charlie’s injuries make no difference to him, telling Charlie how sexy and incredible he is.
I loved how after Thanksgiving, Greg gets ready to see Charlie after being apart for a week, carefully choosing his clothes, feeling nervous like a teenager, unsure of what will happen next. I also loved the dirty bed talk.
What I didn’t like was the way sexuality is perceived. The author seems to see sexuality in black and white, but there’s whole Kinsey scale and to me Greg appeared to be in the grey area. A Kinsey 1 to be precise - predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual. He’s always been attracted to women, he almost married one, and then he meets Charlie and falls in love with him. This doesn’t annihilate his past, though. He can’t say in a definite voice “I’m gay.” Being in love with a guy doesn’t automatically mean being gay.
Besides that, I was slightly annoyed by all the sex in the beginning of their relationship (listen to me, complaining about too much sex!). It felt a little gratuitous and it could have been easily resolved by focusing on other things than their relationship. At some point Charlie and Greg have a fight and stay apart for four days, but those four days are only two pages in the book. It wasn’t enough for me too feel their pain and to wish for them to get back together. I would also have liked to see the Christmas dinner. It would have been a great opportunity for some secondary character development.
All in all, it’s a great book and because I love Greg so much I’ll give it 4 stars.
March 8, 2012
CHARLIE FACTOR is one of those feel good stories that leaves you with a smile at the end. The writing is tight, the story flowed smoothly and the characters are multi-dimensional. What I loved about this book was the characters. They were life like, enjoyable and relatable. The main character Charlie is a man who is afraid to live life again so he hides away from everyone, seemingly alone in the world and that is just the way he likes it. Meeting Greg and his dog Samson was not on his to do list that day at the beach either. The characters fairly brim with life, so much so they fairly leap off the pages and into your living room. I could really see being friends with them in real life. The sex scenes sizzle at times and at other times were so sweetly romantic; I almost melted in a puddle of goo. This is an author who knows her characters and gets inside their vulnerabilities, their heart and shows the reader their soul.
Charlie & Greg struck a nerve with me. Charlie is hiding-from himself, his future, from life in general. Mourning the life he used to have and thinking no one could ever like him, he is stunned to find this handsome man offering friendship. Greg is seemingly straight and that makes Charlie safe...until he falls for the man and then watch out.....misunderstandings, miscommunications and emotions come into play that leave the reader rooting for Charlie and Greg to work their issues out. Both characters have issues and this author does a great job in communicating them to the reader within the pages of THE CHARLIE FACTOR. There were some wonderful secondary characters that had me giggling over and I am anxious to see if they will get their own story in the future.
Diana DiRicci does a great job in conveying both main characters issues amid the pages of THE CHARLIE FACTOR who takes the topic of a gay man falling for a straight man and breathing new life into it. I loved how Greg woos Charlie and from there two people find a love worth fighting for…if they can get through their issues of course. The story flows nicely, the writing captures the emotions the main characters experience and the reader finds themselves rooting for them to get their happily ever after. If you are looking for the perfect beach read, then THE CHARLIE FACTOR is one you might enjoy. I am eager to see what else this author has in store for her readers in the future.
Charlie & Greg struck a nerve with me. Charlie is hiding-from himself, his future, from life in general. Mourning the life he used to have and thinking no one could ever like him, he is stunned to find this handsome man offering friendship. Greg is seemingly straight and that makes Charlie safe...until he falls for the man and then watch out.....misunderstandings, miscommunications and emotions come into play that leave the reader rooting for Charlie and Greg to work their issues out. Both characters have issues and this author does a great job in communicating them to the reader within the pages of THE CHARLIE FACTOR. There were some wonderful secondary characters that had me giggling over and I am anxious to see if they will get their own story in the future.
Diana DiRicci does a great job in conveying both main characters issues amid the pages of THE CHARLIE FACTOR who takes the topic of a gay man falling for a straight man and breathing new life into it. I loved how Greg woos Charlie and from there two people find a love worth fighting for…if they can get through their issues of course. The story flows nicely, the writing captures the emotions the main characters experience and the reader finds themselves rooting for them to get their happily ever after. If you are looking for the perfect beach read, then THE CHARLIE FACTOR is one you might enjoy. I am eager to see what else this author has in store for her readers in the future.
August 1, 2016
2015 Re-read:
The back-story here features so many complete discrepancies to Glitter that we’ll have to treat the prequel as taking place in an alternate universe. It’s a little disappointing to me since I liked that book so much.
This one comes with a lot of issues.
I mean, I completely adore the way Gregory woos and loves Charlie, so the story itself is fine. (Even if Charlie is pigheaded.)
But god, the editing sucks.
It’s a matter of grammatical slips, mostly, aside from the author’s unfortunate problem when it comes to making clear whom the “he” in a sentence is referring to. Dangling participles do not help at all with that. She’s become much better at this in her more recent works, although even there the issue still crops up. In this book, though, things are fairly bad that way.
There are some oddities as well that I think should have been caught in editing.
For example, how does Gregory manage to refer to Charlie by name when the latter avoided introducing himself? Because I double- and triple-checked. No name, no summarized exchanges either where the information might have been slipped in under the radar. Huh. Unless Charlie’s chunky sweater has his name stitched onto it, this makes no sense.
Then there’s the copious sex. Admittedly it is all very nice and emotional and sweet. I just catch myself hoping for more story instead of yet another detailed bout of the hot and heavy variety. Well, at least there is plenty of story and romance. That’s a lot more than can be said for many of the books I usually read.
So I don’t know. I suppose in direct comparison to Glitter, this one simply doesn’t look as good as it could have otherwise. Either way, it’s still a cute and definitely memorable story with adorable moments (mostly due to Greg being his endearing self).
Plus the ending really goes all the way in terms of romantic finale.
The back-story here features so many complete discrepancies to Glitter that we’ll have to treat the prequel as taking place in an alternate universe. It’s a little disappointing to me since I liked that book so much.
This one comes with a lot of issues.
I mean, I completely adore the way Gregory woos and loves Charlie, so the story itself is fine. (Even if Charlie is pigheaded.)
But god, the editing sucks.
It’s a matter of grammatical slips, mostly, aside from the author’s unfortunate problem when it comes to making clear whom the “he” in a sentence is referring to. Dangling participles do not help at all with that. She’s become much better at this in her more recent works, although even there the issue still crops up. In this book, though, things are fairly bad that way.
There are some oddities as well that I think should have been caught in editing.
For example, how does Gregory manage to refer to Charlie by name when the latter avoided introducing himself? Because I double- and triple-checked. No name, no summarized exchanges either where the information might have been slipped in under the radar. Huh. Unless Charlie’s chunky sweater has his name stitched onto it, this makes no sense.
Then there’s the copious sex. Admittedly it is all very nice and emotional and sweet. I just catch myself hoping for more story instead of yet another detailed bout of the hot and heavy variety. Well, at least there is plenty of story and romance. That’s a lot more than can be said for many of the books I usually read.
So I don’t know. I suppose in direct comparison to Glitter, this one simply doesn’t look as good as it could have otherwise. Either way, it’s still a cute and definitely memorable story with adorable moments (mostly due to Greg being his endearing self).
Plus the ending really goes all the way in terms of romantic finale.
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