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Forbidden Broadway
Charlie Perkins grew up in the middle of nowhere. His mom, the local Drama teacher, instilled in him a lifelong love of musical theater. He sings and dances, but he gave up his childhood dream of performing professionally and got his nursing degree before moving to New York City to work in home health care.
Nate Sonntag is a serious businessman. He gives his all to the success of the import/export company he inherited from his father. Working all those extra hours is also a convenient way to avoid dealing with the emotional fallout of the traumatic events that placed everything in his hands.
When Nate contracts Charlie’s agency to care for his elderly grandfather, he ends up getting far more than he expected. Charlie doesn’t know what to expect, but he’s perplexed when Nate tells him that under no circumstance is he to mention anything about the theater in his grandfather’s presence. The subject of Broadway is strictly forbidden!
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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.
Photo Description:
Sunlit trees and foliage, seen through a large window, provide a bright backdrop for two men in a passionate embrace, kissing. They stand in shadows; much is left to the imagination. They appear to be youthful, physically fit, and very much in love.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Nate Sonntag is a serious businessman. He gives his all to the success of the import/export company he inherited from his father. Working all those extra hours is also a convenient way to avoid dealing with the emotional fallout of the traumatic events that placed everything in his hands.
When Nate contracts Charlie’s agency to care for his elderly grandfather, he ends up getting far more than he expected. Charlie doesn’t know what to expect, but he’s perplexed when Nate tells him that under no circumstance is he to mention anything about the theater in his grandfather’s presence. The subject of Broadway is strictly forbidden!
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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.
Photo Description:
Sunlit trees and foliage, seen through a large window, provide a bright backdrop for two men in a passionate embrace, kissing. They stand in shadows; much is left to the imagination. They appear to be youthful, physically fit, and very much in love.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
112 pages, ebook
First published August 4, 2015
1 person is currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Penn
10 books38 followersJonathan grew up in The South. While new to the world of writing, he has been inventing tales for at least fifty years. He was probably also making stuff up during the two years prior to that but, as this was his pre-verbal period, there’s no evidence one way or the other. An armchair linguist, he has taught himself to ask, “Where is the bathroom?” in seven languages.
He enjoys gardening, He gardens, and enjoys red wines, cooking, theatre, and, of course, writing. Jonathan reminds himself every day how fortunate he is to have shared the best and worst of the last thirty-three years with the man of his dreams.
Jonathan loves hearing from readers, so comment here on Goodreads, or email him at jpennwrites@gmail.com, and please Friend him on Facebook.
Jonathan loves hearing from readers, so comment here on Goodreads, or email him at jpennwrites@gmail.com, and please Friend him on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 5, 2015
~3.5~
Sweet as pie!
If you're looking for a low angst story, look no further. This was the easiest, fluffiest read, but it had some FEELS too.
Charlie loves musicals; he's a dancer and singer. When Charlie is hired as a nurse to Simon, a famous Broadway composer, he's thrilled, until the man's grandson, the serious, intense Nate, tells Charlie that he can't ever talk about theater with Simon.
Damn it, Charlie lives for theater. So does Simon. Can Nate be convinced that what he thinks is best for Simon isn't really the best thing at all?
Both Simon and Nate have been through a traumatic experience (Simon twice in one horrible week). Charlie brings light into their lives.
The resolution to the family drama is way too easy, but that's okay.
This is, at heart, a comfort/healing story, a FEEL-GOOD story. With naughty bits!
Includes: a wild ride on a motorcycle, one VERY particular dog, a meddlesome dance teacher, a nosy roommate, and a truly sparkly HEA.
Sweet as pie!
If you're looking for a low angst story, look no further. This was the easiest, fluffiest read, but it had some FEELS too.
Charlie loves musicals; he's a dancer and singer. When Charlie is hired as a nurse to Simon, a famous Broadway composer, he's thrilled, until the man's grandson, the serious, intense Nate, tells Charlie that he can't ever talk about theater with Simon.
Damn it, Charlie lives for theater. So does Simon. Can Nate be convinced that what he thinks is best for Simon isn't really the best thing at all?
Both Simon and Nate have been through a traumatic experience (Simon twice in one horrible week). Charlie brings light into their lives.
The resolution to the family drama is way too easy, but that's okay.
This is, at heart, a comfort/healing story, a FEEL-GOOD story. With naughty bits!
Includes: a wild ride on a motorcycle, one VERY particular dog, a meddlesome dance teacher, a nosy roommate, and a truly sparkly HEA.
October 16, 2015
A sweet story , just what I needed :D to restore my shaky head.
I hope that Mr Penn writes many more stories, and continues to wear buttons embossed with tiny silver ponies.
My thanks to the author and the MM Romance group
I hope that Mr Penn writes many more stories, and continues to wear buttons embossed with tiny silver ponies.
My thanks to the author and the MM Romance group
February 14, 2021
I really liked Charlie, he was optimistic and caring. A home care nurse who loves Broadway and lives his dream by performing in off-off-Broadway recitals, he's a good POV character. When he's hired to care for an aged Broadway legend, he finds things in his patient's home strained, especially when it comes to his patient's adult grandson, and there's healing of the souls that's needed more than nursing.
Sadly, the romance in this is tacked on at best. Charlie and Nate barely spend more than a few paragraphs on page before they're falling for each other, and considering Nate's initial characterization, he thawed out very quickly and unconvincingly. They also started acting like teenagers as soon as they hooked up, and since I didn't care about them as a couple, I couldn't even skim the sex scenes and skipped them entirely.
Sadly, the romance in this is tacked on at best. Charlie and Nate barely spend more than a few paragraphs on page before they're falling for each other, and considering Nate's initial characterization, he thawed out very quickly and unconvincingly. They also started acting like teenagers as soon as they hooked up, and since I didn't care about them as a couple, I couldn't even skim the sex scenes and skipped them entirely.
January 20, 2018
3.5 Stars! Sweet as pie! And has one of the longest bj scenes I’ve ever read ;)
August 26, 2015
The ability to write a novella from someone else's inspiration is a marvel. This short book was inspired by a letter and a photograph presented to a romance writing group. Jonathan Penn has given it a distinctive voice by creating the story of a young midwestern nurse named Charlie, who has re-settled in New York from his family's farm to satisfy his yearning to sing and dance. Charlie has Broadway showtunes ever in his head, and lands what seems to be a dream job caring for the elderly Simon Sonntag, a famous Broadway lyricist.
But Simon's dour grandson Nate forbids Charlie from discussing the theater with his charge, and Charlie can only wonder why this spry and seemingly healthy old man needs round the clock nursing care in his huge Fifth Avenue apartment.
This is not Tolstoy; but it is a masterfully drafted story of a young man with stars in his eyes and a heart full of love, who becomes the inadvertent saviour of a badly broken and unhappy family.
But Simon's dour grandson Nate forbids Charlie from discussing the theater with his charge, and Charlie can only wonder why this spry and seemingly healthy old man needs round the clock nursing care in his huge Fifth Avenue apartment.
This is not Tolstoy; but it is a masterfully drafted story of a young man with stars in his eyes and a heart full of love, who becomes the inadvertent saviour of a badly broken and unhappy family.
June 28, 2020
Adorable story! Charlie is an absolute doll, and his connection with Simon is beautiful. Yes, Nate starts out as a serious stick-in-the-mud, but eventually I saw this as his concern for his grandfather and guilt over what happened to his father. Lovely development and ending!
August 11, 2015
I love this story. It's full of fluff and sweetness, just as I like it. Jonathan just gets better and better.
Charlie and Nate are very memorable characters. Simon is a sweetie. To add to the appeal Charlie sings one of my favourite show tunes in his recital.
I do hope Jonathan writes more about these two.
Charlie and Nate are very memorable characters. Simon is a sweetie. To add to the appeal Charlie sings one of my favourite show tunes in his recital.
I do hope Jonathan writes more about these two.
October 11, 2015
I loved this romance! Charlie was so peppy, and all the secondary characters were fun too. The setting was great (I just saw two plays on Broadway in June). Everything about this story was fun.
August 4, 2015
4.5 stars :)
August 17, 2015
*3.5 stars*
August 8, 2015
This is my favourite story by Jonathan Penn so far…I think. I hope there are many more to come!
March 31, 2018
A really nice fun read. Nate was so broken because of what happened to his parents and it so negatively affected every aspect of his life, especially his relationship with his grandfather Simon. Then along comes Charlie, with his sweet mid-western disposition (and exuberant love of Broadway shows) and Nate’s walls come crumbling down. It was also very cute the way the story was set up in Acts and Scenes instead of plain old chapters. One very minor thing that kind of bothered me was when Charlie’s classmate, Joel, texts Charlie to set up a coffee date the coming Tuesday evening, Charlie accepts but then seemingly blows him off because he went to spend the day with Nate instead.
August 4, 2015
Review to follow...
November 8, 2016
This was not the story for me.
November 7, 2016
Oh, I liked this story! The author has sprinkled great Broadway show tunes and musicals throughout as he tells the story of Charlie and Nate. Their love story is low-angst and they fit together like, well, the perfect lyrics with the perfect melody.
February 22, 2018
It was great! It was obvious what was going to happen but somehow the author still managed to make it interesting and captivating. Didn't overstretched the drama and kept it simple. Overall, very well done.
November 21, 2017
I liked the division of the book into acts and scenes instead of chapters. I could have done without the sex scenes. Otherwise, a good story and fun to read.
September 13, 2015
Actually it's a very good story, especially because I can relate to each character.
August 24, 2015
Loved it. From the Broadway and musical-loving Charlie to the uptight Nate, this story had just the right amount of fluff, and not too much angst. I would've liked to get into Nate's head a little more, but other than that, this was a short, fun read.
Thanks to the author for participating in the LOR event.
Thanks to the author for participating in the LOR event.
Want to read
October 6, 2015
Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group's Love Is An Open Road event. Thank you too all the amazing authors who participated!
August 14, 2015
Sweet, fluffy read :)
Read
August 11, 2015Cute free short story. I had a couple of niggles (unnecessary journey descriptions are unnecessary) but nothing to stop my enjoyment of the story.
August 19, 2015
Wonderful story. Great world building, story line and plot. Solid characters. All in all, a great feed good story.
August 21, 2015
A well written and enjoyable romance with good character development and a rather unique story line.
September 20, 2015
a bit too much of everything
January 23, 2016
I expected more. The plot idea is great and it started off very promising. It was sadly then too much instalove for my liking and way too easy.
The writing was good and I still could enjoy it.
The writing was good and I still could enjoy it.
September 11, 2015
Good story. Good writing. Nothing exciting. Just good.
October 3, 2015
Lovely story, great characters, fun read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews