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Luscious Love

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Wendell Choate is a struggling deaf man who wants nothing more than a comfortable life. When Caleb Adams hires him to work in his chocolate shop, the big bear of a man appeals to his sweet tooth. Does Caleb’s interest end at closing time, or is there a chance he wants more?

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

Read the story here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 1.
__________
Genre: contemporary
Tags: gay m/m, food kinky, coming out, bear, deaf, disability
Word Count: 6,447

16 pages, ebook

First published July 6, 2011

111 people are currently reading
438 people want to read

About the author

Zach Sweets

7 books124 followers
Zach, an army brat, was born in El Paso, TX, and has lived in North Carolina, Germany, Kansas, California, and the District of Columbia, before graduating from University of Baltimore in May 2010, with a degree in Applied Information Technology. He now resides in Arizona, where he moved to start a new adventure with his partner and dog.

In his spare time, Zach enjoys reading, mainly horror. He enjoys doing outdoor activities, and he runs on a daily basis. He participates in charitable running events, from 5k up to marathon distances.

Zach writes as often as he can and likes to push himself with writing challenges. Joining the M/M Romance group on Goodreads.com has immensely boosted his motivation to become a successful Deaf author, writing about man to man love, with some horror thrown in for good measure.

When he is not writing or reading, Zach likes to practice his web design and development skills. He loves to hang out with love of his life as often as he can, finding things to do inside and outside the house, whether it be yard work, hiking, bike riding, walking their dog, eating out at a cozy diner, or just loving.

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5 stars
199 (17%)
4 stars
248 (21%)
3 stars
417 (36%)
2 stars
164 (14%)
1 star
110 (9%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
Profile Image for Marte - Thunderella.
784 reviews107 followers
January 21, 2015


***** 5 Deaf and Chocolate stars *****

I think this story was written especially for me. I mean, MM Romance, chocolate and a deaf MC and the other one learning sign language to be closer to him?
*content sigh*  I can die happy now ;)


A great short story to get an insight to what it's like to be deaf or having someone deaf in your life.

4 stars for the story and character. The extra star, so it'll make 5, is for my hubby who is in fact deaf. He uses hearing aids and read lips. He can speak normally, though, so you can't actually "hear" he's deaf only see it because of his hearing aids and signing. 



I recommend you read it. For me ;)
If that's not incentive enough, check out the picture prompt. Hehe.

Oh, and I was Googling around and I found this great clip on Youtube where a couple is signing the lyrics to "Love is an open door" from the movie Frozen.
And, well, I just found my new favorite (American) signs "Love is an open door". :D
Can you spot "chocolate"? Well, now you know the sign used in this short story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS9mx...

If that didn't make you happy or smile, then I can't help you! ;)

-----------------------------------------------------

A short story in the collection "Don't Read in the Closet, Volume One" from the MM Romance Group Hot Summer Event 2011.
Click HERE for the story online or  HERE to download the whole collection for your reading device.

Picture and prompt:

Profile Image for Martin.
807 reviews598 followers
May 3, 2017
Wow. Just wow. 

A deaf MC. 
A bald, hot and hairy love interest.
Chocolate as lube
Out of this world kind of hot sex.

What more could a guy want?

I could have done without the description of the taste of sperm mixed with chocolate, thank you very much. 

The story was very short, making the instalove seem pretty rushed, and the whole setting was a bit too smooth (a shop hires a deaf person and expects customers to write on a board in order to communicate with the guy behind the counter?! A sweet utopia fantasy, but far from reality)

Still, the sex was absolutely amazing!! And I loved Wendell's happiness at succeeding at the job interview and having a boss who not only enables him to be gainfully employed despite his deafness but who is also willing to learn sign language for him.

A very sweet read.

3,5 stars!
Profile Image for The Bursting Bookshelf of a Wallflower.
809 reviews152 followers
January 2, 2017
2.5 stars!

Luscious Love tells us the story of Wendell, a young deaf man, who is desperately looking for a job. When Caleb, the owner of a chocolate store decides to hire him, Wendell can’t believe his luck and his willing to give his very best in order to keep his new job.

I have to admit that I love chocolate and I thus loved the setting of a chocolate store and all the highly erotic moments it could offer. I also liked the focus on sign language and all the difficulties deaf people are encountering in life.

Unfortunately, I didn’t believe in the romance between the two main characters. The story is quite short and I guess that it would have taken a little more time to develop a credible love story. It’s not that it felt rushed like in many other short stories, it just didn’t feel credible.

All in all, it was an enjoyable short, but it didn’t manage to leave a lasting impression.
Profile Image for Bookwatcher .
746 reviews117 followers
July 12, 2011
Why 5 stars?

Well, I must talk by parts, explaining my motives. First, the main characters.

Wendell the protagonist and only narrator will right away tell you what he is searching: a job. No, it's not easy, to everyone (the time of the story is not placed as now or past, but let's talk as if it's present time). The story plot is incredible "simple", no? Well, absolutely no. Wendell Is almost depressed, telling us how much he is searching a job, and how many times he was turn down... After the possible employers discover his disability. Wendell is deaf.


Caleb is searching for a helper, to his chocolate shop. You will know about him through Wendell's eyes, so, of course, it's from the eyes of someone already in love.

It's an instant love story?
No and that delights me! Of course it's a short story, but Wendell is always thinking it can't be true, and in any moment he will be turn down again, losing his new job. And Caleb? Well, I can't tell, or will spoil the story... Read it to know why Caleb seems so interested, but is taking his time before declare his feelings.

So it's only because of the plot and the characters, I'm giving it 5 stars?
Nope... There is one more reason... The message: Wendell can be shy, always afraid of what everyone is thinking about him... And that made me smile. I mean, Wendell is each of us... Who never feel out of place? Because we are too tall, to fat, to skinny, black, white, a foreign trying a new life in a strange place ( me me me, ... Hahahaha)... What I want to ask is: who never feel lonely in the middle of a crowd?


So well IMO, this short story can be read as the life of someone with a disability, but can also be read as a sign... to show us how we can also be like Wendell... And exactly like Wendell, if we keep trying love will find us, and life, finally will be less painful.

5 stars, and I recommend it to everyone, not only M/M readers

And I want more!!!

Please? :-D
Profile Image for Serena Yates.
Author 104 books768 followers
August 2, 2011
I really liked this story. The attention to detail is wonderful and made this story come alive for me. I'm still craving chocolate weeks later when I think of what these guys got up to with the chocolate syrup... Sorry, I digress. But then, chocolate and hot men will do that to me.

Wendell is a great guy, and, like many people with a disability, isn't being treated fairly. He doesn't let that stop him, though, and when he meets Caleb things get interesting. No rushing into anything, though. I liked how Zach took the time to develop the relationship, even in such a short story. But the heat at the end? Definitely melted my heart.

Thanks, Zach, for a lusciously delightful read!
Profile Image for CAS.
120 reviews
July 19, 2011
While "wham bam thank you man" has it's merits.. :) there is NOTHING like a slooooow sweet slide into love. This is a deliciously decadent chocolate coated treat!

"..and the fact that I'm Deaf and I find it difficult to write a Deaf character".
Well.. it didn't show at all at any time, if anything your insight adds realism, clarity and sensitivity to the story and to both characters... write what you know and those who read it will feel it.. and I did.
Beautiful! :)


Profile Image for JustJen "Miss Conduct".
2,382 reviews156 followers
April 17, 2012
Very sweet story (pun totally intended as this is sweet in so many ways). I immediately fell in love with Wendell and was cheering for him from beginning to end. Caleb is also lovable, caring, hugable and sexy.

There were two issues I had that brought my rating down. The first was the sentence structure/flow. It felt a little choppy and mechanical, almost like it was too proper. most of this was in the beginning, but seemed to work itself out as the story progressed. The second issue I had was the abrupt ending. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next after what I expected to be a bigger deal. Perhaps I just wanted to see more of Caleb and Wendell and where their relationship was heading.

All in all, I really enjoyed this cute story.
Profile Image for Heather C.
1,480 reviews222 followers
June 4, 2012
Cute story about a deaf guy getting a job at a chocolate shop. But when guy and his boss start getting freaky with chocolate on the kitchen floor...I did get a little icked out!
Profile Image for atmatos.
814 reviews143 followers
January 9, 2012
The story was nice except for a somewhat rushed ending.
Profile Image for Susan Laine.
Author 88 books220 followers
April 13, 2012
Lovely little love story--with chocolate. What could be tastier?
Profile Image for Miss Asima.
142 reviews61 followers
December 10, 2011
~really 3.5 - 3.75 stars :) ~

Okay, there were parts of this little quickie that I enjoyed enough to rate it five stars. Like Wendell and Caleb. Two very lovable MC's. :) And the fact that Wendell is deaf - I love when MC's have RL issues to deal with. Not made up fictional BS drama lol - Anyway... I also like that they didn't just jump right in. My list of likes is long - it's most of the story.

However, there were thing's I didn't like. And I disliked them enough to drop the rating. Such as, at the beginning the story felt a little choppy. I think it just had too much info to flow smoothly since it is a short story. Second, I wish I new more about Caleb. Other than the fact that he owns the chocolate store we know nothing. :( Third, I HATE food sex. Gicky! lol But that's my issue. Zach did a lovely job I just don't like my food and sex mixed. lol And finally my last issue is how abruptly it ended. I kind of felt like I'd been slapped in the face. Or fell off a cliff. You can't leave me hanging like that. lol

I really did enjoy this book though. I will definitely read more by Zach. And I would LOVE to read more about these two. :D
Profile Image for Wendy❤Ann.
1,757 reviews48 followers
July 30, 2011
Admittedly, I might be a little biased because Zach wrote this luscious story from my picture prompt for a group event, but I can't help it - it's great and I LOVE IT!!!

A chocolate shop and sexy chocolate m/m all in one story - heaven:) Wendell and Caleb seemed perfect for each other. They were both so patient and willing to try new things in order to figure out what worked best for them in terms of communication as well as the relationship. I'm also kind of partial to the character names (at least one of them for sure)! ;)

A totally sweet, totally sexy story and perfect for the picture! I hope Zach keeps pursuing the writing, because I would definitely love to see much more! Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking on this challenge and giving me (okay, all of us) this precious gift of your time and talent!!! *happy sigh*
Profile Image for Bettye Kanady.
113 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2012
First, can I say that this is extremely fluffy! It seemed that rainbows were flying out of Caleb just for Wendell. I did like the sentence: "A bear man and chocolate?" The answer to that, of course, was what more could Wendell ask for? I took the pun, and laughed my butt off... I mean, who doesn't like a bare man and chocolate? But, I'm sorry, Wendell got everything he wanted despite having been out of work for a year, and "it being a really long time since he got laid." And, I have to be honest, once they were experiencing the "throes of passion" and Caleb called Wendell "W"... all I could see was Former President Bush and that's just a vision I cannot have in my head. It's scary! So, while this ended happily, I have to say it is definitely one that I won't be reading again. However, I will read more from Zach Sweets, and I can hope that his stories are more forthcoming for me.
Profile Image for Lör K..
Author 3 books94 followers
October 6, 2017
Okay so this review might come across as highly strange due to the genre of the book but this book heavily inspires me and I'm so happy I just came across it again.

Please note I have not tagged this review for spoilers as I've just done a summary of the book, but may include a few very small spoilers.

The story follows a deaf, gay man named Wendall, trying his best to get a job. He struggles, eventually gets one - and the owner of where he works puts measures in place to help him work around his deafness. Although it's not entirely portrayed, the reader gets the idea that Wendall feels like he may never get a boyfriend because he's deaf, but eventually, of course, he does.

Now, this may seem like a highly strange plot to say that it inspires someone, but as a partially deaf gay male who always thought he'd never be loved due to his disability, this book does wonders for self esteem.

Not only are the facts of being deaf correct (Sweets is a deaf, gay man himself, so I'm not surprised by this - and it's also entirely inspiring to have deaf fiction written by a deaf man), it's shown that disability does not hold you back. It does not make you unlovable, nor does it stop you from achieving what you want out of life.

Not to mention, his future boyfriend goes out of his way to learn sign language to be closer to Wendall, showing him love and acceptance and making Wendall feel good about himself!

If you're a deaf gay man, because I know there a lot of people out there that are the same as me, this book is wonderful.

True the story and plot might be slightly basic, or even some might say bland, it doesn't change the fact that this is highly inspiring to those in the same situation as Wendall and I have so much love to Sweets for writing this book. I'm so glad I found it again after three or four years, and I definitely cannot wait to get my hands on another copy to read it over and over again.

A definite five out of five stars for me; it's truly beautiful to those who need it.
Profile Image for Giada.
843 reviews13 followers
June 17, 2021
1,5 stelline

Non mi aspettavo un capolavoro visto la lunghezza ma un racconto un minimo interessante si. Tutto si riduce a scenette scollegate tra di loro, come se lo scrittore avesse preso e messo insieme bozze di un possibile romanzo mai pubblicato, la scelta di inserire un MC disabile poi risulta ridicola in quanto in nessun modo viene affrontata la sua disabilità o quest'ultima gli causa problemi o disagi, se non ci venisse detto che il protagonista è sordo neanche ce ne saremo accorti e questo a mio avviso è un grosso problema. Il finale del racconto è fin troppo aperto e senza senso, come se volesse introdurre un sequel mai però pubblicato sul web. Unico pregio è la parte erotica scritta decentemente e che intrattengono almeno un pochetto il lettore. Un racconto insomma inutile e poco interessante che non regala nulla e che si dimentica tre secondi dopo. L'idea poteva essere carina e interessante se sviluppata bene in un romanzo permettendo di mostrare un amore complicato, dolce e sensuale purtroppo tutto è stato rovinato completamente da scelte no sense e momenti morti e inutili. A questo punto avrei preferito un PWP puramente erotico e stuzzicante, tutto purchè una non storia. Sconsigliato!
Profile Image for L-D.
1,478 reviews64 followers
October 6, 2011
I did a reread of this story now that I know it is part of the Hot Summer Days Event and there is a photo that inspired it.

This story was part of the M/M Romance Groups' Hot Summer Days Event. I love these projects because it matches an M/M writer with a photo and a reader request. To view the photo and request that inspired this story click on the link below:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

The photo is gorgeous. I don't know why I originally gave this only 2 stars. When I re-read it, I really enjoyed it. It was sweet and I liked the fact that Wendell was deaf and Caleb went out of his way to learn sign language to become closer. Very sweet.

Profile Image for Funzee Shu.
932 reviews108 followers
August 4, 2015

This story came with this promising prompt picture....


description

Just to end in very pathetic way...
Poor...poor...poor writing....

description

I'm sorry....
Profile Image for Cindi.
1,710 reviews85 followers
January 7, 2012
First off the picture is HOT. My all-time favorite cover (for an ebook) will always be Fae Sutherland's "Gambling on Maybe" but this one runs a very close second.

The story was very sweet. I really loved Wendell and Caleb. I wish there would have been more in regards to each of them but it still worked out well for a very short story.

This is my first by this author. It won't be my last.
Profile Image for Betryal.
720 reviews3 followers
September 5, 2011
I have a penchant with characters having disabilities. I guess because they are imperfect and that they find love even though it's fiction makes it more worthy in reading the books.

I commend Zach on this short story and look forward to reading more of his.

Well done, Zach!
Profile Image for Jess.
475 reviews
May 13, 2012
3.5 stars. Short and very sweet. It didn't blow me away like the others have but it's definitely one to read.

I mean who doesn't love men and chocolate? It's pretty perfect. Although I'm craving chocolate now and I don't have any in the cupboards. *sigh*
Profile Image for Deeze.
1,787 reviews286 followers
August 9, 2012
A sweet (pun not intended lol) little short.

I loved Wendell but am jealous too. He has my dream job lol.

A happy feel good read, that I'd love to see extended.

A little too heavy on the sex for such a short, but thats a personal niggle.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews

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