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Starting Over #3
Finding a Purple Unicorn
This ebook and the kindle edition were both published with the ISBN 9781774232262
Single dad and bookshop owner Dave Swan is ready to attend his first parent-teacher night with his twins, Maple and Willow. Maple is super-excited to introduce him to her new best friend Ellie. Everything is fine until he meets Ellie’s dad, who just happens to be the guy he had a wild fling with on a summer singles cruise.
Stained glass artist Daniel Eramos loves his life. He has a great job, an eclectic house, and the best daughter ever. But he’s pretty shocked when Ellie introduces him to Maple, and to Maple’s dad, who rocked his world not so long ago.
When the two men discover they have more in common than a crazy vacation, and that their kids are becoming besties, they know they’ve got something good going on. But when they have to negotiate living arrangements, adult time, and Dave’s ex, it might overwhelm them before they can ever figure out what they want from each other.
word count: 45,305
Single dad and bookshop owner Dave Swan is ready to attend his first parent-teacher night with his twins, Maple and Willow. Maple is super-excited to introduce him to her new best friend Ellie. Everything is fine until he meets Ellie’s dad, who just happens to be the guy he had a wild fling with on a summer singles cruise.
Stained glass artist Daniel Eramos loves his life. He has a great job, an eclectic house, and the best daughter ever. But he’s pretty shocked when Ellie introduces him to Maple, and to Maple’s dad, who rocked his world not so long ago.
When the two men discover they have more in common than a crazy vacation, and that their kids are becoming besties, they know they’ve got something good going on. But when they have to negotiate living arrangements, adult time, and Dave’s ex, it might overwhelm them before they can ever figure out what they want from each other.
word count: 45,305
ebook
Published January 16, 2024
15 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Sean Michael
664 books1,211 followersOften referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 17, 2024
I want to admit it up front... It's ME! I'm the problem, it's me! LOL!!!
No, seriously, I have a huge dislike of "lover" as a repetitive nickname, and that one flew both ways in this one... grrr
Dave and Danny were an adorable couple, but of course, the "triplets" stole the show! The whole Sam storyline seemed not needed, but hey, I'm not about to tell an author how to write their story!
This has been an entertaining series with a lot of fluff and very little substance and sometimes, that is exactly what the reader needs!
No, seriously, I have a huge dislike of "lover" as a repetitive nickname, and that one flew both ways in this one... grrr
Dave and Danny were an adorable couple, but of course, the "triplets" stole the show! The whole Sam storyline seemed not needed, but hey, I'm not about to tell an author how to write their story!
This has been an entertaining series with a lot of fluff and very little substance and sometimes, that is exactly what the reader needs!
February 11, 2025
Finding a Purple Unicorn is the third book in the ‘Starting Over’ series. It stars Dave Swan, a bookshop owner, and Daniel Eramos, a stained-glass artist. This is told in third person from Dave and Danny’s povs.
This story didn’t work for me at all. Be forewarned that this plot heavily features cutesy, talkative kids, and I mean heavily. They are like the main part of the story.
When I first read the blurb, it gave the impression of a fluffy romance of two men who meet after they had a relationship on a cruise ship. Instead, what this was, was a book trying to be three plots in one. The first was Danny and Dave meeting again when they took their kids to school. From that point, there wasn’t much difficulty merging their two households. The daughters were the ‘bestest’ of friends and all the kids loved each other. This plot went far beyond fluffy into syrupy-sweet, falling into a sugar coma. Everyone talked about how much everything was wonderful, how they had so much fun together, and agreed with each other’s ideas. It was way over-the-top and I had to put the book aside, because even for me who loves fluffiness, it was too much. But then the strange part happens. The kids and fluffiness morphs into BDSM and a Dom/sub relationship between the two men with too much sex. I enjoy reading BDSM, but in this story that advertises itself as a fluffy, family romance, the BDSM was creepy. Fluffy family with kids doesn’t pair with BDSM. But then again! There’s the third plot with Dave’s ex-husband. I have a few things to say about that plot and how Dave is an ass.
This third plot or conflict in the story revolves around Sam, Dave’s ex-husband. Sam lives on a commune. Dave allowed his kids, who are twins, to stay at the commune with Sam during the summers. So evidently Dave is okay with that, and the kids never complained about it when they returned. But things changed at the commune through no fault of Sam’s, but Dave blames him completely. The premise is that Dave and Danny will protect the kids with their lives. That’s supposed to set the stage of why Dave gets so angry with Sam. But here’s the thing, the only reason Sam knew that Dave and the kids were staying at Danny’s home, was because when Sam showed up at Dave’s house, they weren’t there. Dave brought Sam to Danny’s house! That was Dave’s fault for letting Sam know where they lived. He could have taken the kids and driven back to their house because they still hadn’t moved out yet. When Sam and some thugs show up from the commune, which has now turned into something more sinister, it’s all because of Dave. Sam was under duress, and got beat-up at one point. Dave had no sympathy for Sam or Jack, Sam’s lover, who was scared and beaten down. Also, Sam and Jack were under police protection with new identities and had to leave quickly, so they wouldn’t be able to attend the kids’ birthday parties, but at least Sam stopped by to say good-bye. Dave of course, chastised Sam again about not being a good father and partner. By the time the story ended, I disliked Dave to his core. That probably wasn’t the author’s intention. It was probably to show that Dave was a caring family man who would defend his family with his life. Unfortunately, it showed that Dave didn’t take responsibility for his own mistakes, and didn’t have empathy for Sam or Jack when they weren’t responsible for the changes at the commune. And for reference, the author never explained what the bad guys were up to, insinuated it might be child-trafficking, but later Sam said they weren’t interested in the kids so that didn’t make sense. The author just laid out the results. The commune plot was left dangling.
As to characters. The kids were sugary-sweet and perfect little angels always chattering away about stuff that wasn’t pertinent or interesting to the story. I wanted to read about a romance between two men, not a book that’s one third written about kids. I ended up skipping the BDSM sex scenes. I didn’t find them interesting. Keeping Dave and Danny’s names straight was difficult. Why the author chose two names both beginning with ‘Da’ I don’t know. Both character’s personalities changed as the story went on. Danny was more confident in the beginning, but by the end was submissive and more like a demure stay-at-home partner, than the confident stained-glass maker he started out in the beginning. Dan revealed more and more that he was a hard-nosed jerk by the end. I didn’t care for either of them.
Overall, I was disappointed in Finding a Purple Unicorn The cover and blurb conveyed a fluffy reuniting of two men, but instead it had three plots and was overwhelmingly about kids. Add in BDSM and it turned creepy especially when it’s insinuated that the commune wanted to take the kids away, which suggests child-trafficking. This was a strange book that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. I give this, 2 Stars.
This story didn’t work for me at all. Be forewarned that this plot heavily features cutesy, talkative kids, and I mean heavily. They are like the main part of the story.
When I first read the blurb, it gave the impression of a fluffy romance of two men who meet after they had a relationship on a cruise ship. Instead, what this was, was a book trying to be three plots in one. The first was Danny and Dave meeting again when they took their kids to school. From that point, there wasn’t much difficulty merging their two households. The daughters were the ‘bestest’ of friends and all the kids loved each other. This plot went far beyond fluffy into syrupy-sweet, falling into a sugar coma. Everyone talked about how much everything was wonderful, how they had so much fun together, and agreed with each other’s ideas. It was way over-the-top and I had to put the book aside, because even for me who loves fluffiness, it was too much. But then the strange part happens. The kids and fluffiness morphs into BDSM and a Dom/sub relationship between the two men with too much sex. I enjoy reading BDSM, but in this story that advertises itself as a fluffy, family romance, the BDSM was creepy. Fluffy family with kids doesn’t pair with BDSM. But then again! There’s the third plot with Dave’s ex-husband. I have a few things to say about that plot and how Dave is an ass.
This third plot or conflict in the story revolves around Sam, Dave’s ex-husband. Sam lives on a commune. Dave allowed his kids, who are twins, to stay at the commune with Sam during the summers. So evidently Dave is okay with that, and the kids never complained about it when they returned. But things changed at the commune through no fault of Sam’s, but Dave blames him completely. The premise is that Dave and Danny will protect the kids with their lives. That’s supposed to set the stage of why Dave gets so angry with Sam. But here’s the thing, the only reason Sam knew that Dave and the kids were staying at Danny’s home, was because when Sam showed up at Dave’s house, they weren’t there. Dave brought Sam to Danny’s house! That was Dave’s fault for letting Sam know where they lived. He could have taken the kids and driven back to their house because they still hadn’t moved out yet. When Sam and some thugs show up from the commune, which has now turned into something more sinister, it’s all because of Dave. Sam was under duress, and got beat-up at one point. Dave had no sympathy for Sam or Jack, Sam’s lover, who was scared and beaten down. Also, Sam and Jack were under police protection with new identities and had to leave quickly, so they wouldn’t be able to attend the kids’ birthday parties, but at least Sam stopped by to say good-bye. Dave of course, chastised Sam again about not being a good father and partner. By the time the story ended, I disliked Dave to his core. That probably wasn’t the author’s intention. It was probably to show that Dave was a caring family man who would defend his family with his life. Unfortunately, it showed that Dave didn’t take responsibility for his own mistakes, and didn’t have empathy for Sam or Jack when they weren’t responsible for the changes at the commune. And for reference, the author never explained what the bad guys were up to, insinuated it might be child-trafficking, but later Sam said they weren’t interested in the kids so that didn’t make sense. The author just laid out the results. The commune plot was left dangling.
As to characters. The kids were sugary-sweet and perfect little angels always chattering away about stuff that wasn’t pertinent or interesting to the story. I wanted to read about a romance between two men, not a book that’s one third written about kids. I ended up skipping the BDSM sex scenes. I didn’t find them interesting. Keeping Dave and Danny’s names straight was difficult. Why the author chose two names both beginning with ‘Da’ I don’t know. Both character’s personalities changed as the story went on. Danny was more confident in the beginning, but by the end was submissive and more like a demure stay-at-home partner, than the confident stained-glass maker he started out in the beginning. Dan revealed more and more that he was a hard-nosed jerk by the end. I didn’t care for either of them.
Overall, I was disappointed in Finding a Purple Unicorn The cover and blurb conveyed a fluffy reuniting of two men, but instead it had three plots and was overwhelmingly about kids. Add in BDSM and it turned creepy especially when it’s insinuated that the commune wanted to take the kids away, which suggests child-trafficking. This was a strange book that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. I give this, 2 Stars.
August 7, 2024
Dave is a single father to twins, Maple and Willow. Having heard about Maple’s BFF, Ellie for a while now, he’s surprised when he discovers Ellie’s father is Daniel, who rocked Dave’s world a short time ago when they both hooked up on a gay cruise. Neither man had expected anything to come from the short fling, but now they discover they’re going to be a lot more solidly in each others lives with their daughters inseparable. The two men slowly realise they have a lot more in common than they originally expected.
I really enjoyed this heartwarming and emotional full length novel. While it’s listed as the third in a series by this author – I found this really was a completely stand alone novel, with virtually no connection to any other book and can definitely be read very comfortably by itself. Readers who enjoy M/M erotic romances with single dads and young children as the main plotline should find this an enjoyable and emotional read. I found Dave and Daniel’s characters to be relatable and believable and while there is an understandable amount of glossing over the reality of full time caring of young kids, the whole setup was believable and a pleasure to read.
I was pleased the story wasn’t too rosy-tinted and the main focus was on the blending of the two families and the beginnings of the men’s romantic relationship. While I admit there was nothing earth-shakingly new or unique to this story, I still found it was thoroughly enjoyable and a real pleasure to just relax and enjoy. Readers should be aware there is some mild BDSM between Dave and Daniel that is explicit but kept away from the children and is private between the two men. There is also some conflict between Dave and his ex-partner which I felt was very well handled. The characters of the three children were fun and sharp, the chemistry between the two men was steamy and intense and I found the building of their blended family was believable and well paced.
Readers looking for an enjoyable and comfortable story, with interesting characters and a strongly written plot should find this to be a lovely read. I particularly liked the emotional depth I found in the characters and I know I’ll reread this story in the future again.
I really enjoyed this heartwarming and emotional full length novel. While it’s listed as the third in a series by this author – I found this really was a completely stand alone novel, with virtually no connection to any other book and can definitely be read very comfortably by itself. Readers who enjoy M/M erotic romances with single dads and young children as the main plotline should find this an enjoyable and emotional read. I found Dave and Daniel’s characters to be relatable and believable and while there is an understandable amount of glossing over the reality of full time caring of young kids, the whole setup was believable and a pleasure to read.
I was pleased the story wasn’t too rosy-tinted and the main focus was on the blending of the two families and the beginnings of the men’s romantic relationship. While I admit there was nothing earth-shakingly new or unique to this story, I still found it was thoroughly enjoyable and a real pleasure to just relax and enjoy. Readers should be aware there is some mild BDSM between Dave and Daniel that is explicit but kept away from the children and is private between the two men. There is also some conflict between Dave and his ex-partner which I felt was very well handled. The characters of the three children were fun and sharp, the chemistry between the two men was steamy and intense and I found the building of their blended family was believable and well paced.
Readers looking for an enjoyable and comfortable story, with interesting characters and a strongly written plot should find this to be a lovely read. I particularly liked the emotional depth I found in the characters and I know I’ll reread this story in the future again.
March 13, 2025
This story is full of sweet sugar but frankly that was what I was in the mood for. There is drama with the ex but it wasn’t the main plot point. I wasn’t bothered by the BDSM scenes because that was how they met in the first place so it was a common interest. And frankly it is refreshing to see a child driven plot line that still lets the adults enjoy their own grown up fun. BDSM and families are not mutually exclusive.
September 13, 2024
TMI For a purple unicorn
I liked the story line single dads and the interaction with the children story line. I thought the sex part was way over the top for gay parents. My husband and I had five children and 13 grandchildren married 27 years till he passed 4 years ago from cancer.
I liked the story line single dads and the interaction with the children story line. I thought the sex part was way over the top for gay parents. My husband and I had five children and 13 grandchildren married 27 years till he passed 4 years ago from cancer.
January 12, 2025
Making a family
I loved this story. Danny and Dave are shocked to realize their kids are best friends at school but it makes for a very satisfying situation. These two were amazing and I love these single dads starting over in this series.
I loved this story. Danny and Dave are shocked to realize their kids are best friends at school but it makes for a very satisfying situation. These two were amazing and I love these single dads starting over in this series.
February 9, 2025
Another great installment in the Starting Over Series this time it is Dave and Daniels story, fancy running into someone at your child's school wit whom you had a raunchy week at sea together. A really enjoyable book and the series is amazing.
January 17, 2024
I did not love this one. It was fine, just not amazing.
January 18, 2024
Weirdly saccharine. The Starlight sub-plot felt tacked on to get at least a little break from the perfect, sweet monotony.
January 29, 2024
I liked the characters and the story well enough but I had to skip the sex scenes because I don’t enjoy reading about bdsm.
February 2, 2024
I really should remember I don’t like this writer. It’s just too sweet and uneventful for my taste. Even with the whole kidnapping plot. Not my thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews