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Mi Alma
Ex-Mormon Alma Larsen doesn't know the first thing about alcohol, so he hires bartender Damian Banks to help out at his winter holiday party. They build a friendship that simmers with sexual tension – and possibly something much deeper. Will this Christmas bring them both a love that lasts?
ebook
First published December 9, 2015
About the author
Dale Cameron Lowry
39 books38 followersDale Cameron Lowry lives in the Upper Midwest with a partner and three cats, one of whom enjoys eating dish towels, quilts, and wool socks. It’s up to you to guess whether the fabric eater is one of the cats or the partner. When not busy mending items destroyed by the aforementioned fabric eater, Dale enjoys writing gay romantic, erotic, and speculative fiction; wasting time on Tumblr; listening to Mormon-related podcasts; studying anatomy and neurophysiology; getting annoyed at Duolingo; and reading fairy tales.
Note about my involvement on Goodreads: I leave occasional reviews here and check in on conversations, but I don't connect with other users as "friends." This is because Goodreads is connected to Amazon. Amazon has a policy of removing reviews left by readers who know authors in real life. There's the potential for Amazon to misinterpret an internet relationship between myself and an author based on mutual literary interests as a real-life friendship, and thus to delete legitimate reviews on books I've actually read.
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Thanks!
Note about my involvement on Goodreads: I leave occasional reviews here and check in on conversations, but I don't connect with other users as "friends." This is because Goodreads is connected to Amazon. Amazon has a policy of removing reviews left by readers who know authors in real life. There's the potential for Amazon to misinterpret an internet relationship between myself and an author based on mutual literary interests as a real-life friendship, and thus to delete legitimate reviews on books I've actually read.
However, feel free to follow me and to ask me to follow you back. That's an alternative way for us to keep up with each other's reviews on Goodreads.
Thanks!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 29, 2016
2.5* Would likely have rated this higher if the story was just that bit longer.
The characters come across as refreshingly male. Before 40% of this short story there's mention of adjusted nutsacks, dick, conjones/balls and later on cocks come out.
As it's a short story meaning everything happens fast; they meet, they meet again and hook-up then we leap to a year later. For me it was a bit too much too fast, they'd just met but were sharing their life stories and getting that forever feeling. But it's a light sweet read and the characters are both likeable; though got to admit I didn't get much of a visual impression for them except for one being pink!
One comment did stand out for me - a character saying his mother who he was close too died when he was 15 but that's 'water under the bridge'. Time heals, life goes on, but water under the bridge? Guess some streams are murkier than others, to me it felt an odd thing to say.
Liked that there was no sense of family angst despite Mormon and Catholic religions coming into play.
Was left wondering why would a tech office have a freezer large enough to hold a one foot by two foot wide sculpture? Things like this bug me!
The characters come across as refreshingly male. Before 40% of this short story there's mention of adjusted nutsacks, dick, conjones/balls and later on cocks come out.
As it's a short story meaning everything happens fast; they meet, they meet again and hook-up then we leap to a year later. For me it was a bit too much too fast, they'd just met but were sharing their life stories and getting that forever feeling. But it's a light sweet read and the characters are both likeable; though got to admit I didn't get much of a visual impression for them except for one being pink!
One comment did stand out for me - a character saying his mother who he was close too died when he was 15 but that's 'water under the bridge'. Time heals, life goes on, but water under the bridge? Guess some streams are murkier than others, to me it felt an odd thing to say.
Liked that there was no sense of family angst despite Mormon and Catholic religions coming into play.
Was left wondering why would a tech office have a freezer large enough to hold a one foot by two foot wide sculpture? Things like this bug me!
November 22, 2016
A cute, short, angst-free Christmas romance. Free right now on instafreebie.com.
October 24, 2017
Really cute and heartwarming. This really should have been longer to develop the characters and storyline further. I think that would have given it that 5th star. And thank you Dale for showing that you can write a good M/M romance without basing the attraction on unrealistic Ken-doll bodies.
January 22, 2018
This is a really sweet fast romance. You will like both heroes and you will have a minute to rest and enjoy the Christmas fun.
December 8, 2016
Cute, but ultimately due to length didn't seem quite cohesive and finished. Damian first meets Alma when he answers an ad for a bartender who's LGBT friendly. They really hit it off, and it all goes on from there.
February 28, 2017
This story was read within the 'Falling Hard' collection and the review will be word-for-word as that contained within Falling Hard's review.
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Mi Alma
Length: 4-14%
POV: 3rd person, one character
Heat Rating:
~
Mi Alma
Length: 4-14%
POV: 3rd person, one character
Heat Rating:
December 17, 2017
3.4 Stars
Sweet insta-love holiday romance. Well written, I just wish it had been a bit longer because I really felt the promise of great characterization & depth.
Sweet insta-love holiday romance. Well written, I just wish it had been a bit longer because I really felt the promise of great characterization & depth.
August 18, 2019
a freebie by prolific reads. The beginning is hilarious- Damian responds to a "bartender wanted" ad by a certain Alma, whom he expects to be a well-to-do old lady who wants to hire a bartender for a social function. The he experiences the surprise of his life- if you know the singer George Ezra- imagine this voice- sotto basso- turns out this Alma is a man. Then they meet in a coffee shop and to Damian´s utter surprise Alma isn´t a bearded bear with a beer-gut but a slender fair-skinned young man. Alma talks about his past- you immediately start to like his tongue-in -cheek humour. They swap life stories, some funny, some sad, and you directly are drawn into this comfortable coffee-room atmosphere, you literally hear the clinking of cups andthe hising of the espresso machine while those two guys chat. And so it continues- sweet, no drama, just two cute guys meeting by chance and discover they match.
December 14, 2017
This was a nice story about two guys who make an instant connection and dance around it a bit before finally coming together. I loved the way that the story showed them talking for hours and connecting multiple ways showing definite chemistry but a but not launching into sex. The touches of Spanish and the irony of the duality of Alma's name were enjoyable as well. It was a short novella that felt just the right length too. I will say that, while I've seen it promoted as a Christmas story, that wasn't the feel it had for me. There was the obvious office Christmas party setting at one point and some mention of hilariously named seasonal drinks, but it didn't have an overtly Christmasy theme. In other words, it would make a nice read for any time of the year. This was an introduction to the author's work for me and, based on this one, I'm going to be seeking out more.
December 20, 2017
One of the things that really kept me from liking this very short story was that 3 times the one MC thought of the other MC as a "skinny white boy". I'm sorry but I hate reading racist crap like that!
January 3, 2018
Cute holiday short story.
December 17, 2020
Definitely not my favorite Christmas story, but it was entertaining.
February 13, 2017
3.5/5.0
Very short, sweet story. Enjoyable first experience with this author. Characters were engaging and enjoyed the flow of the story.
Very short, sweet story. Enjoyable first experience with this author. Characters were engaging and enjoyed the flow of the story.
Want to read
December 14, 2016Instafreebie giveaway. All you need is an email address and they'll send this to you in drm-free mobi, epub, or pdf. Also signs you up for the author's newsletter. Ends 11/28/2016.
With the warning that apparently the epub is missing all its italics.
With the warning that apparently the epub is missing all its italics.
January 19, 2017
One of the free reads I picked up at the Big Gay Fiction Giveaway.
Short and sweet and sexy. Didn't knock me out but there are some nice lines, warm backstory, likable characters and all well written. If you fancy a quickie, you won't go wrong with this. 3.5*
Short and sweet and sexy. Didn't knock me out but there are some nice lines, warm backstory, likable characters and all well written. If you fancy a quickie, you won't go wrong with this. 3.5*
June 28, 2019
Any relationship that starts with a four-hour conversation is good. I liked that they were friends before the sex and they seem to enjoy each others' company.
I received the book through Instafreebie and am glad I took the chance on a new-to-me author.
I received the book through Instafreebie and am glad I took the chance on a new-to-me author.
December 8, 2020
This is a sweet insta-love Christmas romance. Damien answers an ad to be a bartender at Alma’s Christmas party and man do they hit it off. I can see why it’s insta-love because it’s a super short book and things have to start happening and fast, lol. Very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews