What do you think?
Rate this book
Past Lies
Two opposite men, two different lives, two sets of past lies.
With his twenty-year high-school reunion looming, Paul Loughton dreads seeing the one person who could tempt him to stray from his path. Small-town mayor, lawyer and budding politician, Paul can’t—won’t—admit he’s gay, even to himself. Years of denial and lies are now threatened by an inevitable encounter. With his denial slipping, he has to come face-to-face with temptation.
Randy Martin left his small-town roots behind before the ink on his diploma was dry. The cliquish world of his childhood didn’t have room for the weird kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Rumors of his sexual preferences made life that much more difficult. Now, twenty years later, he should be anxious to rub his wealth and success in the faces of his former classmates. Except with one of them, the urge to rub something else hasn’t diminished over the years.
With his twenty-year high-school reunion looming, Paul Loughton dreads seeing the one person who could tempt him to stray from his path. Small-town mayor, lawyer and budding politician, Paul can’t—won’t—admit he’s gay, even to himself. Years of denial and lies are now threatened by an inevitable encounter. With his denial slipping, he has to come face-to-face with temptation.
Randy Martin left his small-town roots behind before the ink on his diploma was dry. The cliquish world of his childhood didn’t have room for the weird kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Rumors of his sexual preferences made life that much more difficult. Now, twenty years later, he should be anxious to rub his wealth and success in the faces of his former classmates. Except with one of them, the urge to rub something else hasn’t diminished over the years.
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2008
6 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Shayla Kersten
28 books222 followersBy day, multi-published Shayla Kersten is a mild-mannered accountant. By night, she’s a writer of sexy romances. Torn between genres, Shayla writes erotic stories about hot heroes and their sexy women, as well as hot men and their passionate heroes.
A native of Arkansas, Shayla spent four years in the Army as a missile specialist, stationed in Germany and Oklahoma. After her enlistment was up, she spent eleven years in New York City taking a bite out of the Big Apple. Even her love of theatre and the nightlife of the big city couldn’t cure terminal homesickness for the Natural State. In 1995, she returned to her roots in Arkansas.
Shayla divides her time between her mother, her spoiled rotten cats and dogs, her evil day job and her obsession—writing.
A native of Arkansas, Shayla spent four years in the Army as a missile specialist, stationed in Germany and Oklahoma. After her enlistment was up, she spent eleven years in New York City taking a bite out of the Big Apple. Even her love of theatre and the nightlife of the big city couldn’t cure terminal homesickness for the Natural State. In 1995, she returned to her roots in Arkansas.
Shayla divides her time between her mother, her spoiled rotten cats and dogs, her evil day job and her obsession—writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Read
April 23, 2009You can't never forget your first love...
Paul is the perfect All American Boy of a small town USA. Quarterback, Golden Boy, wealthy and handsome, he was the dream of every girls in high school, but also of one boy, Randy. Randy was from the wrong side of the city, he was a bit of a goth and plus he was also gay. Not that he could do nothing in the small town he lived, other than dreaming about Paul. And he would never imagine that also Paul dreamed about him.
But eighteen years old are too few to have the courage to do something and so Randy chose to leave the town and made a own and successful career in the IT department. And Paul returned back to home after college to be a lawyer in his father firm and to become the perfect city major with a barbie doll girlfriend.
Now twenty years later they meet again at the school reunion. Randy is a millionaire businessman who admitted to be gay to colleagues and friends, but not with his mother, his only live relatives. And Paul is still denying his homosexuality. But when Paul meet Randy, denying is not more an option, and Paul needs to find the courage to coming out with his parents, but also with all the small town, and Randy with his mother. But a little surprise is waiting our two heroes.
This one is maybe the most romantic novel I have read by Shayla Kersten. It's a very classical romance, with all the little things that make squeeze a romance lover. And then I always have had a thing for first love turning in everlasting love. Plus both Paul than Randy are very nice characters, and Randy is perfect in his behaviour, he knows when to push Paul, but also when to stepback and give him enough room to make his own choices. My only regret is that this couple has to wait twenty years to be together, but maybe is better in this way, cause they are both enough mature to know what they really want in their life.
A very sweet romance, highly reccomended to who wants to see the world throught pink glasses, and sometime this means to have a better disposition toward life.
PS: HOT HOT HOT cover by Les Byerley, I would buy the book only to have this cover, and since the book is very good, the cover is a very appreciated plus!
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/27...
Paul is the perfect All American Boy of a small town USA. Quarterback, Golden Boy, wealthy and handsome, he was the dream of every girls in high school, but also of one boy, Randy. Randy was from the wrong side of the city, he was a bit of a goth and plus he was also gay. Not that he could do nothing in the small town he lived, other than dreaming about Paul. And he would never imagine that also Paul dreamed about him.
But eighteen years old are too few to have the courage to do something and so Randy chose to leave the town and made a own and successful career in the IT department. And Paul returned back to home after college to be a lawyer in his father firm and to become the perfect city major with a barbie doll girlfriend.
Now twenty years later they meet again at the school reunion. Randy is a millionaire businessman who admitted to be gay to colleagues and friends, but not with his mother, his only live relatives. And Paul is still denying his homosexuality. But when Paul meet Randy, denying is not more an option, and Paul needs to find the courage to coming out with his parents, but also with all the small town, and Randy with his mother. But a little surprise is waiting our two heroes.
This one is maybe the most romantic novel I have read by Shayla Kersten. It's a very classical romance, with all the little things that make squeeze a romance lover. And then I always have had a thing for first love turning in everlasting love. Plus both Paul than Randy are very nice characters, and Randy is perfect in his behaviour, he knows when to push Paul, but also when to stepback and give him enough room to make his own choices. My only regret is that this couple has to wait twenty years to be together, but maybe is better in this way, cause they are both enough mature to know what they really want in their life.
A very sweet romance, highly reccomended to who wants to see the world throught pink glasses, and sometime this means to have a better disposition toward life.
PS: HOT HOT HOT cover by Les Byerley, I would buy the book only to have this cover, and since the book is very good, the cover is a very appreciated plus!
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/27...
November 3, 2012
Simple story, but I liked it
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- I love the premise: a rich kid and a poor kid who went to high school together meet up 20 years later and the poor kid is now the richer of the two (but still nice--not arrogant or vindictive).
- This is a heartwarming story of awakening, and the fact that Paul is 38 when he finally starts admitting to himself that he’s attracted to men made it even sweeter for me. He actually throws himself into the whole gay love affair thing rather quickly for me to find it quite believable, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it anyway.
- There’s a lot of sex (I’d guess five or six scenes in a 180-page book), but I thought it was sweet. Randy’s incredibly understanding of Paul’s (slight) hesitation and is gentle with him.
- A couple of the supporting characters are awesome. I wanted to hug them. (A couple others are *not* awesome, but hey…every story needs its villains, right?)
CONS:
- There are a couple of little plot points that made me frown because they seemed incongruous with the logical nature of the characters.
- Kersten uses a few little writing conventions that I found slightly annoying: her characters talk to themselves sometimes, for instance, when the feelings could just as easily be conveyed in the exposition. These are insignificant, though; overall, I’d definitely say she’s a strong writer.
Overall comments: The entire premise here is that two guys who went to high school meet up years later and fall for each other really quickly; there are few surprises, and not many terribly exciting things happen. I really enjoyed reading about the relationship, though, so I recommend this for people who like character-driven works.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- I love the premise: a rich kid and a poor kid who went to high school together meet up 20 years later and the poor kid is now the richer of the two (but still nice--not arrogant or vindictive).
- This is a heartwarming story of awakening, and the fact that Paul is 38 when he finally starts admitting to himself that he’s attracted to men made it even sweeter for me. He actually throws himself into the whole gay love affair thing rather quickly for me to find it quite believable, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it anyway.
- There’s a lot of sex (I’d guess five or six scenes in a 180-page book), but I thought it was sweet. Randy’s incredibly understanding of Paul’s (slight) hesitation and is gentle with him.
- A couple of the supporting characters are awesome. I wanted to hug them. (A couple others are *not* awesome, but hey…every story needs its villains, right?)
CONS:
- There are a couple of little plot points that made me frown because they seemed incongruous with the logical nature of the characters.
- Kersten uses a few little writing conventions that I found slightly annoying: her characters talk to themselves sometimes, for instance, when the feelings could just as easily be conveyed in the exposition. These are insignificant, though; overall, I’d definitely say she’s a strong writer.
Overall comments: The entire premise here is that two guys who went to high school meet up years later and fall for each other really quickly; there are few surprises, and not many terribly exciting things happen. I really enjoyed reading about the relationship, though, so I recommend this for people who like character-driven works.
January 29, 2012
As a coming out story and from foes to friends to lovers theme, this is hot and sweet. Recommended. For me, this is a keeper.
June 15, 2011
This was a really well written book, as are all of Shayla Kersten's books. I did, however, feel that it kinda fell into a cookie cutter kind of layout that was pretty predictable.
Paul was the All American, rich kid, quarterback, who had all the girls falling at his feet. Randy was the poor, kid, sorta goth, who was rumored to be gay. Randy also had a crush on Paul and little did he, or anyone else, know that Paul crushed on Randy too. So flash forward to the 20 year reunion now where too much alcohol gives Paul the excuse he needs to show Randy how he feels. And so starts their secret relationship. How to make it work when Paul has an overbearing homophobic father, and an evil scheming ex. And then there are the "understanding moms who always just knew". Although the sex was very hot, and actually delves into very very light BDSM/toy play, it did seem to get a little redundant by the end. Honestly, this really was a good book and Paul and Randy are really sweet and get a much deserved HEA, I just couldn't help but feel that the story was very predictable.
Paul was the All American, rich kid, quarterback, who had all the girls falling at his feet. Randy was the poor, kid, sorta goth, who was rumored to be gay. Randy also had a crush on Paul and little did he, or anyone else, know that Paul crushed on Randy too. So flash forward to the 20 year reunion now where too much alcohol gives Paul the excuse he needs to show Randy how he feels. And so starts their secret relationship. How to make it work when Paul has an overbearing homophobic father, and an evil scheming ex. And then there are the "understanding moms who always just knew". Although the sex was very hot, and actually delves into very very light BDSM/toy play, it did seem to get a little redundant by the end. Honestly, this really was a good book and Paul and Randy are really sweet and get a much deserved HEA, I just couldn't help but feel that the story was very predictable.
August 10, 2012
3.5 Stars
An enjoyable enough read although a deeper insight into the characters would have been welcome. I didn't really feel the connection between the 2 MCs.
An enjoyable enough read although a deeper insight into the characters would have been welcome. I didn't really feel the connection between the 2 MCs.
February 24, 2024
It's been 20 years since Randy and Paul last saw each other as they graduated high school. Randy isn't looking forward to the reunion, unsure of the reaction of his fellow classmates and Paul in particular. He's had a crush on Paul since high school but doesn't know how Paul will react. Paul has tried to be the good son but has broken off his engagement to his gold digger fiancé. Paul has had desires for Randy but this may be his one chance to act on it. Both of them are afraid of coming out to their parents, especially in their small southern town. Will their past lies keep them apart to maintain an image? Will admitting the truth really be that bad? Could the truth set them free?
July 16, 2017
The setting is a small town where everybody knows everybody's business.
We have Paul - a high school jock who's been in denial about his sexual preference all of his 38 years of life, and we have Randy - the weird gay kid, probably bullied a lot, who escaped the town right after graduating.
So, comes the high school reunion...
Randy is attracted to Paul (has been since high school), but keeps it to himself because he's not out to his mom yet and to the best of his knowledge, Paul is straight.
Paul is attracted to Randy too (has been since high school), but keeps fooling himself, mostly he's afraid not to live up to his Dad's expectations. Or the town's expectations. Whatever.
And all it took for Paul to loose control was one bitchy ex-fiance and a few scotches. And then he pounces on Randy in his hotel room and goes straight to gay sex (no pun intended). For someone who's been in denial for more than 20 years, who was afraid to even think about a passing attraction to men on the street, he sure didn't need much encouraging. Nor did he freak out about it at any point of the book. Wouldn't he feel, oh I don't know, a bit overwhelmed at some point? Unless he wasn't really really in real denial.
And all of that happens in the first 10 pages of the book.
Then there's a whole lot of hot and a bit kinky gay sex. Between the the sex sessions there's a bit more of the angry bigot Dad, and the psycho ex-fiance.
And then we reach the last 20 pages of the book, in which Paul's superhero Mother puts a metaphorical collar on the psycho ex-fiance's neck ensuring no rumors will spread, and informs Paul and Randy that their parents already know they're gay, and want them to be happy.
Ten more pages of kinky sex. The End.
We have Paul - a high school jock who's been in denial about his sexual preference all of his 38 years of life, and we have Randy - the weird gay kid, probably bullied a lot, who escaped the town right after graduating.
So, comes the high school reunion...
Randy is attracted to Paul (has been since high school), but keeps it to himself because he's not out to his mom yet and to the best of his knowledge, Paul is straight.
Paul is attracted to Randy too (has been since high school), but keeps fooling himself, mostly he's afraid not to live up to his Dad's expectations. Or the town's expectations. Whatever.
And all it took for Paul to loose control was one bitchy ex-fiance and a few scotches. And then he pounces on Randy in his hotel room and goes straight to gay sex (no pun intended). For someone who's been in denial for more than 20 years, who was afraid to even think about a passing attraction to men on the street, he sure didn't need much encouraging. Nor did he freak out about it at any point of the book. Wouldn't he feel, oh I don't know, a bit overwhelmed at some point? Unless he wasn't really really in real denial.
And all of that happens in the first 10 pages of the book.
Then there's a whole lot of hot and a bit kinky gay sex. Between the the sex sessions there's a bit more of the angry bigot Dad, and the psycho ex-fiance.
And then we reach the last 20 pages of the book, in which Paul's superhero Mother puts a metaphorical collar on the psycho ex-fiance's neck ensuring no rumors will spread, and informs Paul and Randy that their parents already know they're gay, and want them to be happy.
Ten more pages of kinky sex. The End.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2011
I usually like my romances to have some paranormal aspect, mystery, or scifi element. I don’t usually go for contemporary romances as they start to sound alike. How many ways can you tell a “boy meets boy” story in the real world? So, I’m not sure what prompted me to order this one, other than Amazon allowing me to read the first few pages before buying. I immediately felt a connection, and am very glad I bought it.
The story was simple, and familiar: popular high school jock still unmarried, and in the closet, meets Mr. Right and accepts his sexuality. Yet, the characters were very real and the romance was enjoyable. Plus, it was nice to read about mature characters. Randy and Paul meet again at their 20th high school reunion, putting them both close to 40. Randy was the goth-outsider in high school. He moved away and made a fortune in computer programming. Paul followed the path his father laid out for him, law school, mayor, ready to run for state senate. When he and Randy meet again, they start a passionate affair, but will Paul be able to stand up to his father and make his own life?
This is romance, so the ending is predetermined to be HEA. However, it didn’t feel contrived because it made sense for these characters. Paul has his own money, and is a practicing lawyer. Even if his father disowns him, he can move away with Randy and not give up everything. The author spent time building the romance, and though the sex is explicit, it’s not every other page. Overall, an enjoyable love story.
The story was simple, and familiar: popular high school jock still unmarried, and in the closet, meets Mr. Right and accepts his sexuality. Yet, the characters were very real and the romance was enjoyable. Plus, it was nice to read about mature characters. Randy and Paul meet again at their 20th high school reunion, putting them both close to 40. Randy was the goth-outsider in high school. He moved away and made a fortune in computer programming. Paul followed the path his father laid out for him, law school, mayor, ready to run for state senate. When he and Randy meet again, they start a passionate affair, but will Paul be able to stand up to his father and make his own life?
This is romance, so the ending is predetermined to be HEA. However, it didn’t feel contrived because it made sense for these characters. Paul has his own money, and is a practicing lawyer. Even if his father disowns him, he can move away with Randy and not give up everything. The author spent time building the romance, and though the sex is explicit, it’s not every other page. Overall, an enjoyable love story.
December 28, 2008
It was hard not to compare Paul and Randy of Past Lies with Dylan and Sebastian of M L Rhodes' Under My Skin. Both couples are attractive as people, not just superfically but I found Dylan had that sexual magnetism that Randy, his counterpart in PL lacked. Likewise, Sebastian was also a more interesting character than Paul.
There's a lot of sex but perhaps I wasn't in the mood as I found myself skimming through much of it towards the end. It was repetitive but then how much different can it be from book to book? They all have 4 balls to lick and suck, 2 cocks that always poke and slide against each or thrust and parry like two fencing epees when the H&H stand face to face.
As usual, there's the parental opposition and it's from the dad, of course, and the mothers who always knew, of course. I found those parts the most interesting because Randy and Paul's interaction became predictable and same old, same old, after a few chapters.
There's a satisfying HEA and I had to give 4 stars (3.5, really) because there weren't any TSTL or unrealistic moments.
There's a lot of sex but perhaps I wasn't in the mood as I found myself skimming through much of it towards the end. It was repetitive but then how much different can it be from book to book? They all have 4 balls to lick and suck, 2 cocks that always poke and slide against each or thrust and parry like two fencing epees when the H&H stand face to face.
As usual, there's the parental opposition and it's from the dad, of course, and the mothers who always knew, of course. I found those parts the most interesting because Randy and Paul's interaction became predictable and same old, same old, after a few chapters.
There's a satisfying HEA and I had to give 4 stars (3.5, really) because there weren't any TSTL or unrealistic moments.
January 12, 2021
This is the second book I've read by this Shayla Kersten. Had to wait to purchase this paperback because it cost too much. It was worth the wait when I finally purchased it in November 2009. I really enjoyed THE COST OF ETERNITY. I hoped her other books would be just as good, well I certainly wasn't disappointed. But the storyline was unexpected...
Family drama / fear of rejection / loss of love & respect / little Arkansas town / unusual setting / small southern town / heart of the bible belt / fear of discovery & possible violence / fear of disgust or distain from strangers
Blast from the past / twenty year high school reunion / unknown feelings for each other / rich boy poor boy / importance of moms / strict rigid controlling father / small town mayor / lawyer / budding politician / denial / temptation /vicious ex-fiance / first times / eagerness / falling in love / uncertainty
Family drama / fear of rejection / loss of love & respect / little Arkansas town / unusual setting / small southern town / heart of the bible belt / fear of discovery & possible violence / fear of disgust or distain from strangers
Blast from the past / twenty year high school reunion / unknown feelings for each other / rich boy poor boy / importance of moms / strict rigid controlling father / small town mayor / lawyer / budding politician / denial / temptation /vicious ex-fiance / first times / eagerness / falling in love / uncertainty
January 24, 2015
synopsis:
paul and randy both attend their 20th high school reunion and both are dreading it: paul because he has never admitted that he was gay and his crush is attending, and randy because he was a weird kid from the wrong side of the tracks who got teased for his sexual orientation before he was even certain of it. as they meet again, sparks fly, even though paul is still in the closet and has no intentions of coming out, since he is a lawyer and his father wants him to carry on the family tradition of becoming a government official.
what i liked: not much.
what i didn't like: neither character was really sympathetic and neither were very strong in their convictions, either. both came across as a little whiny and pouty and basically, even though they were supposed to be 38 years old, still in high school.
paul and randy both attend their 20th high school reunion and both are dreading it: paul because he has never admitted that he was gay and his crush is attending, and randy because he was a weird kid from the wrong side of the tracks who got teased for his sexual orientation before he was even certain of it. as they meet again, sparks fly, even though paul is still in the closet and has no intentions of coming out, since he is a lawyer and his father wants him to carry on the family tradition of becoming a government official.
what i liked: not much.
what i didn't like: neither character was really sympathetic and neither were very strong in their convictions, either. both came across as a little whiny and pouty and basically, even though they were supposed to be 38 years old, still in high school.
August 15, 2010
M/M contemporary romance.
Hero #1 admits he is gay but has a swinging door on his closet - he has just moved to the bible belt to be close to his ailing mother so the door is definitely closed. Isn't it?
Hero #2 refuses to admit his urges to anyone, especially himself. He so far back in the closet he's hiding behind the winter coats - but sometimes he moves to front and finds himself peeking through the cracks. He's not gay, not really, is he?
Then their 20th year high school reunion happens and they meet again...
Relationship driven plot and the stresses of dealing with non-traditional sexuality. Good read.
I've also read her The Cost of Eternity (vampires, m/m plot), good read also.
Hero #1 admits he is gay but has a swinging door on his closet - he has just moved to the bible belt to be close to his ailing mother so the door is definitely closed. Isn't it?
Hero #2 refuses to admit his urges to anyone, especially himself. He so far back in the closet he's hiding behind the winter coats - but sometimes he moves to front and finds himself peeking through the cracks. He's not gay, not really, is he?
Then their 20th year high school reunion happens and they meet again...
Relationship driven plot and the stresses of dealing with non-traditional sexuality. Good read.
I've also read her The Cost of Eternity (vampires, m/m plot), good read also.
August 1, 2012
For me an m/m romance has to have a good balance between two things: hot sex and a good backdrop story that's entertaining. When the sex is hot enough, I am flexible on the second point. If the story is good enough, I am flexible on the first point. Past Lies is very interesting as a hot read, but I found the story a little too simplistic. The men are about my age so I would expect a level of maturity equivalent... but they felt more like teenagers most of the time which I don't mind when the characters are teenagers, but not when they're almost forty! Now, I am sounding harsh... I liked the read, it left me wanting a better backdrop; but I was satisfied with the rest.
September 15, 2010
Wow! I actually put off reading this one cuz I thought by the blurb it would have too much drama in it (i'm not the drama type i only like a little to my hea's) but I have to say I loved this story..blurb did not do it justice... not to much drama just a wonderful story this one will go on my favorite list..and of course the sex was totally hot!!!..were talking bringing out the mini fan hot!!...will be passing this one along to my friends, Shayla Kersten really knows how to tell a story and keep you reading till the end, and wanting more...now thats what a great writer is supposed to do.
January 18, 2015
Paul and Randy find each other at their 20th school reunion. Both were in love with each other in high school but neither did anything.
Randy is gay but not out. Paul is gay but doesn't want to admit it. Its small town Arkansas and being out is not the done thing.
As Paul has drunk too much at the reunion, Randy offers to drive him home.
However, they get yo his hotel room and old feelings raise their head.
A nice story about 2 men who wait 20 years to admit their feelings tor each other.
Randy is gay but not out. Paul is gay but doesn't want to admit it. Its small town Arkansas and being out is not the done thing.
As Paul has drunk too much at the reunion, Randy offers to drive him home.
However, they get yo his hotel room and old feelings raise their head.
A nice story about 2 men who wait 20 years to admit their feelings tor each other.
August 11, 2016
2.5 stars--I found the writing to be a bit stiff--it did not flow well, and the editing was mediocre. I never really liked nor felt connected to the MCs. I thought they both came across as weak.
The storyline was okay but parts of it seemed quite farfetched. I had a difficult time sticking with the story. After a while, even the steamy sections failed to keep my interest. Toward the end, I found myself skimming large sections just to make it through.
The storyline was okay but parts of it seemed quite farfetched. I had a difficult time sticking with the story. After a while, even the steamy sections failed to keep my interest. Toward the end, I found myself skimming large sections just to make it through.
April 16, 2015
I first read this in 2013 and loved it then and I love it still. It is one of the first books that introduced me to the gay romance genre and has kept me hooked since. I am so glad I decided to revisit Randy and Paul.
October 30, 2010
3.5 stars
May 22, 2012
Where was the angst I was waiting for??
March 1, 2017
2nd read 2/27/17
1st read Jan 2013
1st read Jan 2013
September 20, 2015
3.5~4/5
While the plot is simple, I enjoyed it. Plus, both mc were likeable. The light bondage was also a welcoming addition.
While the plot is simple, I enjoyed it. Plus, both mc were likeable. The light bondage was also a welcoming addition.
June 27, 2012
It was a sweet book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews