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Gabe

(Boys of Brighton #1)

M. Tasia (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · Rating details · 448 ratings · 75 reviews

Fifth-generation firefighter Gabe Mason saves Johnny from the flames of an office building fire, and Johnny will save Gabe from himself.

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Gabe Mason is a fifth-generation firefighter unable to move forward with his life after a devastating betrayal two years earlier. Graphic designer Johnny Jeffrey relocated to Brighton, Texas, to flee persecution and fear, a ...more

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Kindle Edition, 119 pages

Published September 8th 2016 by Boroughs Publishing Group (first published September 2016)

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· 448 ratings · 75 reviews

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Sep 09, 2016 Gigi rated it did not like it

Shelves: mm-healing-comfort, yuck, mm-firefighters

Spoiler tag for plot points.

(view spoiler)

This wasn't bad, i ...more

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Apr 04, 2017 Janie rated it liked it

Shelves: m-m

Total OTT instalove which is perfect for me. It was cute with some lol moments with a bit of suspense thrown in. I will definitely read more by this author.

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Oct 08, 2016 Leaundra rated it really liked it

I actually really liked this. But of course I love insta-love/lust. So if you don't like it, this book isn't going to be for you. Because it happens really fast. I get it. I met my husband, from the day we met we were inseparable and married 4 1/2 months later and have been married 29 years. Sometimes you just know. I loved the family. I read to escape and this worked for me. I enjoyed the writing. ...more

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Nov 14, 2016 BWT rated it liked it

Shelves: gay-book-reviews, 2016, mm-fiction

I wanted to read something sweet and ridiculous. This absolutely fit that bill.

Instant love at first sight to the nth degree. Calling someone else's parents "mom" and "dad" within minutes of meeting them. Huge, glaring, enormous plot holes. Blatantly ridiculous plot points.

Even with all of that...I enjoyed it.

And you know what I liked most? Johnny is seriously injured several times, and he never gets miraculously better. He has scars and lasting damage.

Nothing else in this approached reality, b ...more

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Dec 10, 2019 Shelby rated it did not like it

Shelves: mm-romance

I was a little worried right from the start when the first three characters were Johnny Jeffrey, his intern Josie and assistant Janice. I'm horrible with names, so if you give me two female characters in the span of a few paragraphs with similar names, I'm not going to know who is who. And from there, it only got worse. Gabe is related to pretty much half of Brighton, and a lot of them make appearances. And then there are the co-workers and friends. I honestly couldn't keep track of who anyone w I was a little worried right from the start when the first three characters were Johnny Jeffrey, his intern Josie and assistant Janice. I'm horrible with names, so if you give me two female characters in the span of a few paragraphs with similar names, I'm not going to know who is who. And from there, it only got worse. Gabe is related to pretty much half of Brighton, and a lot of them make appearances. And then there are the co-workers and friends. I honestly couldn't keep track of who anyone was. And there was even an Aunt Flo, which I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be an attempt at humour or if the author was just not aware that Aunt Flo is a euphemism for menstruation.

And of the many, many, many characters, there was far too much time spent on building romances for the subsequent books - Jesse & Royce, Clem & Rick, Sam & Dante & Spider. It pretty much killed any interest in reading their books.

I really don't like how crazy fast (emphasis on the crazy) Gabe & Johnny's relationship progressed. Like, Gabe just plows his way into Johnny's life, Johnny is calling Gabe's parents Mom & Dad pretty much immediately, patient confidentially and hospital visiting rules/hours are thrown to the wind in the face of insta-love in a small town, Johnny lets Gabe move him into his house, and they are full out in love in like 3 weeks.

And a lot of that time is glossed over. A lot of the time in the hospital that is on page either has Johnny with other people or Johnny unconscious, so there isn't a whole lot of bonding going on with Gabe. And the 3 weeks he spends in the hospital recovering happen off page, so then all of the sudden Johnny is living with Gabe. And it feels sudden, because Johnny and Gabe may have had 3 conversations on page at this point.

And then there is the whole crazy-ex, Chris, plot. This book could have done without that. There was enough drama with the fire, the insta-love, the million family members, setting up couples for the next book, etc, etc to have a crazy ex trying to kill Johnny thrown in the mix.

I also thought that setting up a meet & greet with your surrogate and your friend so that the surrogate can determine if she wants to carry a baby for said friend and his new man of a few weeks who is in the middle of recovering from burns, lacerations and damage to his throat and lungs from smoke & chemical inhalation. So, that seemed kinda creepy, imo.

And speaking of Johnny's recovery, he does an awful lot of talking for someone who isn't supposed to be talking. Feeding chicken casserole to someone with a throat that has been traumatized by smoke inhalation seems like a bad idea. Giving him a jug of water to drink out of also seems like a bad idea, as did giving him a glass of water when he first woke up... don't they typically use those little sponges to suck on at first? Especially since they may not have known how capable Johnny was of swallowing. And instead of worrying about an accessible computer for Johnny once he is able to go back to work, maybe focus on parts of the recovery, like compression garments for the burns.

The idea of the book isn't bad, but I just didn't like the way it was executed. ...more

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Sep 21, 2017 Carra rated it liked it

For all the fans of insta-love out there, this story was meant for you. The story starts off with a bit of suspense and drama, and amongst it all Gabe sees Johnny and feels an instant connection...one that he immediately latches on to and refuses to let go. Gabe is very alpha, extremely protective and needs to be in control so he knows Johnny is taken care of.

Now, I have to admit--if I was Johnny, I personally would have been more than a bit unnerved with the immediate attention and acceptance o ...more

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Jan 17, 2020 Becca rated it it was amazing

Not a bad start to this series. I like it. Characters with good personalities, sexiness, and a family that never backs down, no matter the cost. I love this family.
Johnny is doing his best to hang on. He just moved to this town, working a new job and seemed to love being there. But the fire destroying the building is not his idea of fun. Especially when one of the girls he’s trying to help goes flying out the window and he’s trying to hang on to her for all his worth, no matter the damage to hi Not a bad start to this series. I like it. Characters with good personalities, sexiness, and a family that never backs down, no matter the cost. I love this family.
Johnny is doing his best to hang on. He just moved to this town, working a new job and seemed to love being there. But the fire destroying the building is not his idea of fun. Especially when one of the girls he’s trying to help goes flying out the window and he’s trying to hang on to her for all his worth, no matter the damage to himself. He’s also having to rescue another of his girls who got caught under falling debris, causing major injuries to himself. But as soon as firefighter Gabe sees him and what he’s doing, he rushes in to help and can’t help but fall for this hero. Gabe just hopes Johnny will like him back when he discovers Gabe is a bit of a dominant personality. But Johnny seems to love that Gabe is taking over. He wants to be able to let go for a bit. And being as hurt as he is, he doesn’t mind the pampering either. But being with Gabe and having an instant family who seem to really love him, comes at a price. In the form of Gabe’s ex, who is trying to kill Johnny. But Gabe and his family will protect what is their’s, no matter the cost. And Johnny is just finally happy to have a family who loves him so much and for who he is. Now if they can all just survive.
I love the characters in this story. Gabe’s mom and aunts had me cracking up so bad. Even the males of the family are funny, but they all know who really rules the roost. And it’s a hoot. But what I love too, is that it didn’t matter about Johnny’s past or anything. They just took him under their wing and loved him for who he is and for being the hero they needed when things got bad. And because of it, they are now his heroes. Being there for him round the clock. Making sure he knows he’s not alone and that he’s loved and appreciated. Especially with the psycho ex running around.
But there’s more chemistry in the air, which I’m assuming are going to be the next books. There’s a lot of heat and chemistry in this one too. It’s a good start. Little angst, little action, and a good hearted family.

http://lovebytesreviews.com/ ...more

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Sep 05, 2017 Candice rated it really liked it

Shelves: nerd-alert, kindle, m-m, fire-emt-paramedic-medical

Yes this was way over the top and instalove, but I don't care! I liked it and it sucked me in. I guess this sugary goodness was exactly what I needed and there is no shame in my reading game. ...more

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Mar 10, 2017 Amanda rated it liked it

Shelves: mm-fire-medic, insta-love

Honestly? I really shouldn't have liked this book. It was cliché, dramatic, and sometimes completely over the top. It was also the most epic instant love ever. But I did. Like it that is.

Maybe it is the mood I'm in that I didn't want a deep, profound love. I wanted the soap opera. A cleanse. And this book was definitely the soap opera.

Johnny is trapped in a burning building and helps save the three women he is stuck with before getting pulled out also by a fireman. Gabe is that fireman. Gabe f ...more

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Nov 27, 2017 Stephanie GooglyEyes rated it liked it

Shelves: firefighters, brother-hood, boys-who-love-boys, cops-military-badass, alpha, insta-love, handicaps-disability, scarred, opposites-attract

I didn't love this, but I didn't hate it either.
Only because I liked all the side characters and am hoping for the best for them.

The beginning of this book was very intense and sucked you in, but all the events after seemed overly dramatic. Poor Johnny couldn't catch a break.

All that aside, the one thing that most bothered me was Johnny kept getting lumped in with the women. Just because he is the smaller more submissive one, doesn't mean he's weak or "feminine" As if the men were too manly fo ...more

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Sep 18, 2016 Meggie rated it it was ok

Shelves: m-m-romance-romance, family

What we have here is a sweet light instant-love romance, between firefighter Gabe Mason and shy graphic desiner Johnny, who is new in Brighton. Relationship between Gabe and Johnny developed to fast and was unrealistic. And that side-story with Chris was simply idiotic.

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May 09, 2020 Kaila rated it really liked it

omg this was amazing.. it was sexy and fun.. it was interesting and fast paced.. it held my attention and i love love love fireman.. i also love how gabe's family is.. and i love johnny was amazing and sweet.. it was wonderful and i cannot wait to see who is next in this series. it is def an instalove type of story but i liked it
...more

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Sep 19, 2017 The Book Junkie Reads . . . rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-ebook, blogtour, review-requested, author_free_reads, indieauthor, quickie-read, drama-emotional-intense, contemporary_romance, lgbtq-mm-ff

I enjoyed getting meet some of the men of the Boys of Brighton series. I found Gabe's bromance to be quick, drama filled, dangerous, and entertaining. It was a fast paced romance that gave and gave and of course sometimes that means insta-love. This was a good read that kept me entertained. ...more

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Sep 09, 2017 Cecilia Rodriguez rated it liked it

3.5 stars

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Jun 09, 2020 Karolina Cebula rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbt, in-english

When Johnny's office is on fire, he heroically saves his colleagues' lives while risking his own. At the same time he himself is saved by a charming firefighter, Gabe. Unfortunately, because of his wounds, Johnny needs constant care and there is no one he can rely on. That's when Gabe and his crazy family, who immediately takes care of Johnny as if he has always been one of them, come to the rescue. Love is definitely in the air, but unfortunately the fire and its consequences are not the only p When Johnny's office is on fire, he heroically saves his colleagues' lives while risking his own. At the same time he himself is saved by a charming firefighter, Gabe. Unfortunately, because of his wounds, Johnny needs constant care and there is no one he can rely on. That's when Gabe and his crazy family, who immediately takes care of Johnny as if he has always been one of them, come to the rescue. Love is definitely in the air, but unfortunately the fire and its consequences are not the only problems Johnny and Gabe have to face. Gabe's ex-fiancé comes back to town, and it's not a good sign.

"Gabe" is the first volume of the series of novellas entitled "Boys of Brighton" written by M. Tasia, and thus it has quite a difficult task as it must arouse the readers' interest in the series, outline the universe, tell us Gabe and Johnny's story, introduce the characters. So it is obvious that a few elements that undoubtedly constitute a characteristic feature of this series immediately catches our eye. One of such things is instant love, so a theme that I like and at the same time hate in literature. In "Gabe", fast love undoubtedly plays a quite important role, because it gives the presented story a fairytale, largely unreal vibe, which really permeates the universe of the series. And believe me, after reading this novella we are sure that "Boys of Brighton" is filled with that vibe. In "Gabe" love at first sight may be a bit surprising if we take into consideration Gabe's story, which makes it difficult to assess this theme. We do understand the reason Gabe falls in love with Johnny, but how can he be sure that giving his heart to a stranger he doesn't make the next big mistake of his life? But if we look at the whole situation from a fairytale point of view, nothing can surprise us.

Gabe's family is another fairytale-like and largely unreal motif we can find in this novella. In fact, looking at "Gabe" from the perspective of this theme, the story presented in this book is quite disturbing. Well, as for me, I don't want to be in Johnny's shoes. Think about it. You are new in the city. You have an accident and suddenly you are saved by a dream guy who immediately behaves like your lover. But that's not all, because his whole family behaves exactly as if you were part of it, and your relationship with your savior was a certain thing. From a psychological point of view, they put pressure on you, because can you, without feeling guilty, say them "no" at some point, as everyone takes such a good care of you? And if you dare to reject your savior who treats you like his lover, won't you be afraid that all his family will suddenly turn against you? Yes, in my opinion the story presented in "Gabe" is disturbing and at the same time very fairytale-like.

I think in this novella a con artist ex-boyfriend is just another really interesting motif. We often hear about this problem in the real world, but in the literature this issue is rarely addressed. So I am very happy that "Gabe" refers to this topic. The only thing I missed in this case were the details concerning Gabe's relationship with his ex, who turned out to be a con artist. After all, we see how quickly the firefighter falls in love with a stranger, so obviously we are curious if that was the case with his ex. The same applies to the Mason family. Were they just as devoted to Gabe's ex-boyfriend, even if only for a moment, as they are to Johnny? I would really like to know more about the past in order to better understand the present. After all, Gabe and his family are not ordinary people, but a really unique group. So how did Gabe's past affect his loved ones? Well, yes, as you can see I am a very curious person.

To sum up, "Gabe" is not a perfect novella, but it introduces us in an undoubtedly pretty good way to this almost fairytale-like, although at the same time real, world of the series that it begins. The characters are likable, there's a lot of action, love is in the air all the time, and the reader is constantly interested in the story. That's why I think it's worth giving this novella and the whole series a chance.

____________________________

W czasie pożaru budynku, w którym przebywają, Johnny bohatersko i z narażeniem życia ratuje swoje koleżanki z pracy, a jednocześnie sam zostaje uratowany przez czarującego strażaka, Gabe’a. Niestety z powodu odniesionych ran, Johnny wymaga stałej opieki, a nie ma nikogo na kim mógłby polegać. Z pomocą i tym razem przychodzi mu Gabe oraz jego szalona rodzinka, która od razu przygarnia Johnny’ego jakby od zawsze był jednym z nich. Między mężczyznami od razu pojawiają się płomienne uczucia, niestety pożar i jego konsekwencje to nie jedyne problemy, z jakimi Johnny i Gabe muszą się zmagać. W życiu strażaka ponownie pojawia się jego były narzeczony, a to nie jest dobry znak.

„Gabe” jest pierwszy tomem serii nowelek „Boys of Brighton” autorstwa M. Tasia, a tym samym dziełem, które ma przed sobą niełatwe zadanie zainteresowania czytelnika serią, nakreślenia obrazu uniwersum, opowiedzenia nam konkretnej historii, zapoznania z bohaterami. Nic więc dziwnego, że kilka elementów, które bez wątpienia stanowią charakterystyczną cechę tej serii od razu rzuca nam się w oczy. Jedną z takich rzeczy jest natychmiastowa miłość, a więc motyw, który lubię i którego jednocześnie nie znoszę w literaturze. W „Gabe” szybka miłość niewątpliwie odgrywa dosyć istotną rolę, ponieważ nadaje przedstawionej historii baśniowego, w dużym stopniu nierealnego klimatu, który tak naprawdę przenika uniwersum serii, czego już po przeczytaniu tej nowelki możemy być pewni. W „Gabe” miłość od pierwszego wejrzenia może trochę dziwić jeśli weźmiemy pod uwagę historię tytułowego bohatera, co sprawia trudność w ocenie tego motywu. Rozumiemy bowiem, co kieruje Gabe’em, gdy zakochuje się w Johnnym, ale skąd ma on pewność, że nie popełnia kolejnego wielkiego błędu oddając swoje serce nieznajomemu? Jeśli jednak spojrzymy na całą sytuację z punktu widzenia baśni nic nas nie zdziwi.

Innym baśniowym i w dużym stopniu nierealnym motywem jest rodzina Gabe’a. Prawdę mówiąc, patrząc na „Gabe” z perspektywy właśnie tego motywu, przedstawiona w tej nowelce historia jest dosyć niepokojąca. Cóż, nie chciałabym chyba znaleźć się w skórze Johnny’ego. Wyobraź sobie, jesteś nowy w mieście, ulegasz wypadkowi i nagle z opresji ratuje Cię super facet, który od razu zachowuje się jak Twój kochanek. Mało tego, cała jego rodzina zachowuje się dokładnie tak jakbyś był jej częścią, a Twój związek z Twoim nieznajomym wybawcą był rzeczą pewną. Z psychologicznego punktu widzenia wywierają na Ciebie nacisk, bo czy możesz bez poczucia winy powiedzieć w pewnym momencie „nie”, gdy wszyscy tak się o Ciebie troszczą? A jeśli odważysz się odmówić swojemu wybawcy, który traktuje Cię jak swojego kochanka to czy nie będziesz bał się tego, że nagle cała jego rodzina obróci się przeciwko Tobie? Tak, moim zdaniem historia przedstawiona w „Gabe” jest niepokojąca i jednocześnie bardzo baśniowa.

Uważam, że motywem naprawdę interesującym w tej nowelce jest eks-chłopak oszust. O czymś podobnym słyszy się bardzo często w realu, chociaż o wiele rzadziej problem ten pojawia się w literaturze. Cieszę się więc niezmiernie, że „Gabe” odnosi się do tego tematu. Jedynym czego w tym wypadku mi jednak brakowało było ukazanie większej ilości szczegółów odnoszących się do związku Gabe’a z jego byłym, który okazał się oszustem. W końcu widzimy jak szybko strażak oddał serce nieznajomemu, toteż jesteśmy ciekawi, jak to było z byłym. To samo tyczy się rodziny Masonów. Czy, chociażby przez pewien czas, byli równie oddani byłemu chłopakowi Gabe’a, tak jak są zakochani w Johnnym? Naprawdę chciałabym wiedzieć więcej o tym, co było, aby lepiej pojąć to co jest. W końcu Gabe i jego rodzina nie są zwykłymi ludźmi, a naprawdę wyjątkową grupą. Jak więc oszustwo, którego ofiarą padł w przeszłości Gabe odbiło się na jego bliskich? Tak, jak widać jestem osobą bardzo ciekawską.

Podsumowując, „Gabe” nie jest nowelką idealną, ale niewątpliwie wprowadza nas w całkiem niezły sposób w niemal baśniowy, chociaż jednocześnie realny świat serii, którą rozpoczyna. Bohaterowie dają się lubić, akcji nie brakuje, miłość unosi się w powietrzu przez cały czas, a zainteresowanie czytelnika nie gaśnie. Myślę więc, że warto dać tej nowelce oraz całej serii szansę. ...more

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Aug 06, 2017 Sue bowdley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, male-male, gabriel-books

So...after reading a quite harsh review I decided to take a chance on this....That's me...I never avoid a book because of the review...Yes this is insta-love...all of the books mainly are in the series.....But....This is also fiction and I loved Gabe and Johnny...Poor Johnny never got a break from Gabe's ex..But Gabe was always there for him...A great short story x ...more

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Feb 25, 2017 Mateo rated it did not like it

Sorry to say that but really too easy.Not credible, too marshmallow and the characters are too cliche. Everything is predictable, it was like an «ebauche» of another novel. Keep trying and I will come back.

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Jun 29, 2020 Leslie Smith-Lagan rated it liked it

A little fast and easy...

M. Tasia is an author who’s been on my ‘to be read’ list for quite some time now. I’m glad to finally have the opportunity to sit down and start the Boys of Brighton series. I’ve been eyeing it for a while but didn’t really have the time to read the books even though they’re not that long. But, with the way things are going in the world now, and because of the Gay Book Promotions group, I was able to not only find the time but also get my hands on the series.

Gabe is the A little fast and easy...

M. Tasia is an author who’s been on my ‘to be read’ list for quite some time now. I’m glad to finally have the opportunity to sit down and start the Boys of Brighton series. I’ve been eyeing it for a while but didn’t really have the time to read the books even though they’re not that long. But, with the way things are going in the world now, and because of the Gay Book Promotions group, I was able to not only find the time but also get my hands on the series.

Gabe is the first book of the Boys of Brighton series. It tells the story of how Gabe Mason, a fifth-generation firefighter, finds his perfect partner in Johnny Jefferies. Gabe meets Johnny for the first time when he’s called to the scene of a fire where Johnny and three other people are trapped in a burning building. Gabe carries Johnny to safety when he’s injured trying to save his coworkers. The poor guy sustains gashes on his lower abdomen, smoke inhalation, and severe burns on his hands, chest, and shoulder.

It’s strange, but Gabe feels an instant pull to Johnny even though he initially thinks Johnny is married to the woman he was struggling to rescue when Gabe found him. Johnny quickly corrects that assumption though. Before the EMTs can load him up to head for the hospital, Johnny tells Gabe he’s gay and then leaves the man behind with nothing more than his name.

It’s pretty obvious that both men are equally taken with each other right away. That in and of itself wasn’t a problem for me. I believe love, at first sight, can happen. What I did have a problem with was how quickly things developed. The plot pretty much goes, ‘Hey I just met you and this is crazy, but my name is Gabe and you’re my baby.’ This sexy Alpha firefighter just shows up at the hospital, to visit a guy he doesn’t know and takes charge of everything. It almost seems like Gabe forced his way into Johnny’s life and Johnny was like, ‘Yeah, okay. No problem, gorgeous.’

To top off how quickly things moved with the MCs, Gabe’s family pretty much brings Johnny into the family without knowing a single thing about the man. Yes, it was sweet that the Mason gang was happy to take Johnny in. I find it heartwarming when families are so accepting. But in this book, I felt like things just happened too quickly. Not only that, but there doesn’t seem to be much prying into Johnny’s personality or past to find out who he is before everyone lays a claim on him. The Mason’s just marched in and were like, ‘Hey, you’re ours now, deal with it.’

I suppose things needed to happen quickly in this book because there was a lot of plot packed into a hundred and twenty pages. I mean, we have the sudden relationship between the MCs. Then there’s the Mason family taking Johnny on as their own. To top that off, we have Johnny healing from the injuries he acquired during the fire. Oh, and let’s not forget about Gabe’s crazy ex-fiance, Chris, who's determined to take Johnny out of the picture so he can reclaim his man. It’s a lot of story for a novella, so things had to happen in a hurry.

I’m not saying the story was bad. I thought it was great for being such a short read. Despite the fast pace, there was a lot of love and acceptance that made this a wonderful little gem. The characters were all pretty great. I could tell M. Tasia tried to put different personalities into her characters. Both Johnny and Gabe had good and bad qualities that made them relatable. Gabe came across as domineering as hell, always needing to take control of the situation. Meanwhile, Johnny was a pretty serious push over when it came to that overbearing protectiveness.

If you take into consideration that this is a fast-paced novella before you jump into it, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in it. Yes, it would have been nice if the author had given the relationship development a little more page time. It would have been nice seeing Gabe and Johnny getting to know one another. But, it is what it is. The plot wasn’t terrible, it was just rushed.

I would recommend this book to people looking for a fast read that moves at an even faster pace. It is pretty much an ‘instalove’ sort of story. It’s also a book with instant acceptance to the point that it’s unbelievable. But, this is fiction and it’s the author’s take on the love story between Johnny and Gabe. If you take it for what it is, it’s a nice read. I’m very much looking forward to the next book which happens to be Sam’s story. ...more

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May 08, 2020 Erica Chilson rated it liked it

Shelves: dnf, not-for-me, 3, m-m, mm, 3-star, firemen, writing-style-was-not-for-me

DNF @37%

Automatic 3 stars.

The entire time I thought of how a rational person would react... and not a single word of this novella was it.

Do I believe many readers will lap it up? Sure. But that reader isn't me.

Injured in a fire, woke up to have the hospital staff/random stranger/random stranger's mom tell you how you were moving in with a random stranger, treated like you just married into a family of 50+ members. Keeping track of them would be the opposite of healing, draining & stressful, not DNF @37%

Automatic 3 stars.

The entire time I thought of how a rational person would react... and not a single word of this novella was it.

Do I believe many readers will lap it up? Sure. But that reader isn't me.

Injured in a fire, woke up to have the hospital staff/random stranger/random stranger's mom tell you how you were moving in with a random stranger, treated like you just married into a family of 50+ members. Keeping track of them would be the opposite of healing, draining & stressful, not comforting.

No lucid, rational person wouldn't tell the staff to call the police when said random stranger & family are making medical decisions on their behalf, when they're at their most vulnerable, when they know literally nothing about each other, especially allergies & medical history & next of kin.

There is romance. There is Insta-love. Then there is the book known as Gabe. Whole 'nother level of another dimension of reality.

Don't get me started on eating & drinking & talking with a toasted throat.

The odd physical descriptors they gave themselves during their own narration, or the adjectives as a descriptor during a time of major crisis. Hot. Sexy. Hunk. Who thinks of himself as a sexy fireman? Your lungs are on fire... Now is not the time to feel lusty. That wouldn't happen. Ever. You'd worry about surviving & breathing. Panic. Fear. Not long inner monologues about loneliness & romance.

This is on me, but when I read Hunk, I hear my boomer aunt saying it inside my head. No offense to boomers. It's uncomfortable when a guy is burnt to a crisp, then my aunt suddenly joins the narration, describing a Hunky fireman for me, while the guy is being loaded into an ambulance. It's such a dated descriptor. Only time I want to read Hunk is followed by cheese or cake. Even my all-time favorite author uses the word, & I cringe every time. I won't describe the visual inside my head when I read it.

Not my cup of tea. Writing style not for me. As I said, there is Insta-love & warm & fuzzy, but this is a whole new realm, where you're essentially married after brief eye contact. Nope, it's not paranormal. I need something realistic to anchor the fluffy, not feel as if the characters need some time in therapy. ...more

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Sep 01, 2021 Iain rated it it was ok

I want to start with the positives. This is a solidly written book. The dialogue is solid if in places still a little clunky. There’s a big cast of characters adding some richness to the back drop.

But.
BUT.

What the hell? Gabe, your resident alpha Dom fireman, saves Johnny, your typical slim boy sub from a burning building, where Johnny’s bravery also saves other women from the town connected to Gabe and his family. This all sounds great. Right?

But Gabe falls instantly in love with Johnny who is I want to start with the positives. This is a solidly written book. The dialogue is solid if in places still a little clunky. There’s a big cast of characters adding some richness to the back drop.

But.
BUT.

What the hell? Gabe, your resident alpha Dom fireman, saves Johnny, your typical slim boy sub from a burning building, where Johnny’s bravery also saves other women from the town connected to Gabe and his family. This all sounds great. Right?

But Gabe falls instantly in love with Johnny who is badly burned in the fire, and, well he just takes over. He gets his cuz, or someone, to spy on Johnny and give him updates? Um, nurse? I think you dropped your patient confidentiality over there. He then takes over his care arrangements. So far, so nice, so entirely presumptuous.

Then he starts mooning over the barely conscious Johnny, expressing his feelings while inviting over his WHOLE MASSIVE family who think nothing at all strange is going on and insist Johnny calls them MOM and POP.

At this point, I’m screaming. It’s like Stepford. What is wrong? Why is everyone okay with this? Why are mom and pop not sending Gabe for some major therapy? Why is Johnny not repeatedly jabbing the emergency button with the remains of his burned hands and applying for a restraining order? Why is it okay that all Gabe’s aunts and cousins and nephews and brothers and sisters and grannies are traipsing in and out of his hospital room? This isn’t sweet; it’s just plain stupid and I very nearly threw this one. Why is he okay with sitting in Gabe’s lap being cradled like a tired 9 year old on the trip back from the fair? Why?

I can cope with saccharine romance but the sheer unhinged unreality of this was hard to take. This was all the more apparent as with Johnny all burned up, there is virtually no erotic distraction to take your mind off the screaming OTT weirdness of the romance.

There’s ex-troubles of course, and a far too swift but suitably ridiculous HEA.

But I’m a glutton for punishment, I guess, so persevered to the end. I’m a little surprised to see that this is a boat that launched a good number of further ships. Having a quick glance at the summaries, these might prove more interesting than this one. ...more

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Jan 05, 2019 JenCW rated it liked it

3.25 Stars!

This series is probably best read in order, but since most of what happens with each couple is contained in their book, you could read those that appeal to you as standalone stories. That being said, the series is set in a town with lots of accepting people, a set of grandmas who help everyone out, plots with some danger, alpha men, and in some cases, insta-love.

Gabe Mason is a firefighter and hasn't moved on since his ex betrayed him. When he and his team respond to a fire, he see ...more

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Jun 29, 2020 ❤Sharonica-Logic❤ rated it really liked it

Shelves: mm-yummy-series, arcs, mmale-review, love-lurv-luv, 2020

GABE
MMy Thoughts and Review

Nothing says **SWOON** like, being rescued by a hotter than the flames licking the building around you fireman. This is after all the stuff dreams and the multi-million dollar romance genre in film and books based around. Goddess bless the swoony moments, right? Even if they were ninety percent caused by adrenaline, smoke inhalation, rushing to save his work colleagues before himself causing burns to cover his hands and other parts of his body. The sexy fireman carryin ...more

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May 25, 2021 Brianne McCallum rated it it was amazing

I was given a free arc copy from the author for review.

M/M
Love at first sight
Hurt/comfort
Instalove
Super short

Johnny moved to Texas where he is starting over after escaping his homophobic controlling abusive family. He's off to a rough start when he is in the middle of a fire at his work trapped with 3 others. Gabe is the firefighter who comes to his rescue telling him they need to go leaving the last person behind but Johnny refuses and together they get everyone out. When Gabe realizes Johnny s ...more

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May 28, 2021 Georgette B rated it liked it

This was a nice introduction to the series. If you like instalove stories this is for you. The relationship between Gabe and Johnny develops NASCAR fast, so you will need to suspend belief, tuck in, and enjoy the ride. The instalove is not limited to the MCs, Gabe’s entire family falls in love with Johnny and vice versa.

Johnny recent transplant to town is escaping his self involved father end brother (you never meet them-all interactions appear off the page). The story begins when his office is ...more

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Oct 19, 2017 Morgan Skye rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, 2017

This is a series that is best read in order, but you can hop around if certain aspects draw/repel you from one story or another.

In general each book is fairly similar: One very “alpha” male (or 2!) finds himself attracted to a more submissive male and the desire to protect and love and care for him drives him to be super adorable, mushy and overprotective!

Of course there is a life threatening danger putting our guys on the line and usually something horrible in the past making them seem even mor ...more

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May 31, 2021 Emily Pennington rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed

Gabe and Johnny's Story . . .

I don’t object to insta-love, but this was absolutely too fast. Johnny Jeffrey, a shy graphic designer new to town, is trapped in a burning building, saving the lives of three women despite his own injuries. A fireman, Gabe Mason, sees what he is doing and rushes to save him -- and then Gabe falls for Johnny right then and there. He goes alpha, take-charge, dominant, obsessive, and I guess he inherited that from his family who meets and instantly adores Johnny. But t ...more

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May 29, 2021 Coastie Mom rated it really liked it

This is the first book I have read from M. Tasia and I have to say she has a fan. If you like fast paced stories that don’t take 3 or 4 chapters for the main characters to even like each other, then this is the series for you! This is a feel-good story, with love at first sight, with a crazy ex thrown in to make things interesting.

This is the story of Gabe and Johnny. Gabe is a firefighter in the town of Brighton, TX. He has a guarded heart and is tired of one-night stands and is looking for so ...more

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Apr 11, 2018 Faye K rated it it was amazing

Shelves: m-m, age-gap, less-150-pages, hot-chemistry

A new author of me.
LOVED IT.💖 I laughed and felt sadness. The fast connection between these two was beautiful with a look of the eyes sparks fly. I loved all of the characters especially Gabe's mum (and there's a lot of them). Written brilliantly includes romance, chemistry and danger. I'm interested in what the next books will be like, hopefully just as great as this.
Johnny (29) and 3 of his employees was stuck in their burning building. He was a talented graphic designer. He was new in town ...more

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May 27, 2021 Shannon M. Williams rated it it was amazing

What a Sweet Love Story!
I got a chance to read “Gabe,” the first title in M. Tasia’s new Boys of Brighton, TX series, and I’m so happy I did. Gabe Mason is a sexy, loving alpha protector who serves as a firefighter in the small town of Brighton. When he rescues a beautiful young graphic designer named Johnny from an office building fire, he is immediately smitten, a feeling that is only magnified by the fact that Johnny put himself at risk to save Gabe’s cousin and another woman in the blaze. Bo ...more

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Apr 12, 2019 Barbara Cerda rated it it was amazing

I gave this little honey five stars and I'm sticking to it.

Big But.... it is a little too syrupy. If you like your coffee overly sweet and every day delivers everything you ever want in life.... this is the book for you.

But if you're a young adult looking to escape into a world of instant love and family filled with doting women this book is perfection.

I kept waiting for the family to reveal that they were fattening Johnny up for dinner.... like the main course. LMAO. I found the family scary. ...more

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About M. Tasia

M. Tasia

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M. Tasia is an mm romance author who lives in Ontario, Canada. Michelle is a dedicated people watcher, lover of romance novels, 80’s rock, and happily ever afters (once the MCs are put through their paces), who grew up with a love of reading. She’s a firm believer that everyone deserves to have love, excitement, and crazy hot romance in their lives. Love should be celebrated and shared.