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For the Heart of Phillip #1
For the Heart of Phillip
(This is the redone version of "Love Resurrected" MUCH different than before.)
Get ready for a wild, non-stop-drama, sexy ride!
Follow 13 arduous, confusing, wonderful years of Phillip's life as he tries to decide on his love for two men.
Will it be his best friend since childhood Andy who's stuck with him through thick and thin?
Or the hot wild card Robert who's been in love with him since he was 16?
Both men love their Phillip and will stop at nothing to keep him.
Who will win the heart of Phillip? Come along for this ride and find out!
Get ready for a wild, non-stop-drama, sexy ride!
Follow 13 arduous, confusing, wonderful years of Phillip's life as he tries to decide on his love for two men.
Will it be his best friend since childhood Andy who's stuck with him through thick and thin?
Or the hot wild card Robert who's been in love with him since he was 16?
Both men love their Phillip and will stop at nothing to keep him.
Who will win the heart of Phillip? Come along for this ride and find out!
332 pages, ebook
First published June 11, 2007
46 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Danielson
28 books85 followersaka Stephanie L. Danielson. I've been an avid reader since a small child. My first loves were science fiction as well as general fiction books.
Later, I began writing my own stories with a romantic flavor to them.
With influences running the gamut from romance,sci-fi, and drama, my muse was found.
In 2007 I was first published with Love Resurrected, and have since released over a dozen other books, mostly in the contemporary gay romance genre. I am particularly fond of young adult/college age boys to write about.
When not working on a new book, I can be found shooting pool and darts, hanging out with my husband, parents, and cat, cycling, skating, or spending way too much time playing computer games.
Later, I began writing my own stories with a romantic flavor to them.
With influences running the gamut from romance,sci-fi, and drama, my muse was found.
In 2007 I was first published with Love Resurrected, and have since released over a dozen other books, mostly in the contemporary gay romance genre. I am particularly fond of young adult/college age boys to write about.
When not working on a new book, I can be found shooting pool and darts, hanging out with my husband, parents, and cat, cycling, skating, or spending way too much time playing computer games.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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October 27, 2010In a way or the other all three men of this novel have their problem and they are not exactly the hero type.
When the story starts Phillip is 12 years old and he is already full of problem: he is a maniac depressive and bipolar, he is under medication and convinced that no one will ever want him, not as a friend let aside as lover. Moreover he is a cronic undecided, he is not able to choose between one thing or the other, between one man and the other, and in the end, he doesn more damage than good.
Andrew is the 10 years old boy who befriends 12 years old Phillip. When they meet, Phillip has just started to realize that he is gay, but Andy is still too young; he sees Phillip as a big brother, his best friend, and he is very jelaous of him. Andy is a bit spoiled, I had the idea that he was a much wished child, and his parents even adopted before having him. When he arrived, his stepbrother was almost an adult, and so Andy grew up like a single child, with all the spoiled attitude of one. Nothing was denied to him, and no one: when he saw the possibility for Phillip to be separated by him, he “decided” that he was gay and that Phillip had to be with him.
Robert is the 16 years old guy same age Phillip met one summer. Gay like Phillip, and virgin like him, it seemed natural for them to be together. But they didn’t consider Andy, and of course Andy didn’t take it very well. In a way, Robert was not a bad guy, but I think he was too much naïve: once he realized that Phillip was not free, and he would never be, he should have let it go. Instead Robert focused on Phillip like he was his only chance at love.
I really don’t understand what Andy and Rob see in Phillip. While I can understand Andy’s fixation, given his past history with Phillip, I think Rob in a way chose to ruin his life. He had even the chance to start over, he found a good man who loved him, but he had always this idea that Phillip was the real love of his life, and sincerely Phillip has never once behaved like a good boyfriend.
On the other hand Andy did everything possible to lure Phillip to him, I think he even seduced him (if I read that part correctly), to then cheating on him as soon as they were finally together. Not only that, Phillip instead of leaving, or asking for a reason, cheated him back. And if someone wants to be finicky, he did that even before the material act, starting to think to another man.
All these ups and downs on the lives of these three men can only be justified by the fact they are really young, and I think also spoiled: all their parents, instead of trying to instill them a little of common sense, were always ready to support them in their mistakes, because they loved them, either because they were worried about the consequences of not to.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UV98JA/?...
When the story starts Phillip is 12 years old and he is already full of problem: he is a maniac depressive and bipolar, he is under medication and convinced that no one will ever want him, not as a friend let aside as lover. Moreover he is a cronic undecided, he is not able to choose between one thing or the other, between one man and the other, and in the end, he doesn more damage than good.
Andrew is the 10 years old boy who befriends 12 years old Phillip. When they meet, Phillip has just started to realize that he is gay, but Andy is still too young; he sees Phillip as a big brother, his best friend, and he is very jelaous of him. Andy is a bit spoiled, I had the idea that he was a much wished child, and his parents even adopted before having him. When he arrived, his stepbrother was almost an adult, and so Andy grew up like a single child, with all the spoiled attitude of one. Nothing was denied to him, and no one: when he saw the possibility for Phillip to be separated by him, he “decided” that he was gay and that Phillip had to be with him.
Robert is the 16 years old guy same age Phillip met one summer. Gay like Phillip, and virgin like him, it seemed natural for them to be together. But they didn’t consider Andy, and of course Andy didn’t take it very well. In a way, Robert was not a bad guy, but I think he was too much naïve: once he realized that Phillip was not free, and he would never be, he should have let it go. Instead Robert focused on Phillip like he was his only chance at love.
I really don’t understand what Andy and Rob see in Phillip. While I can understand Andy’s fixation, given his past history with Phillip, I think Rob in a way chose to ruin his life. He had even the chance to start over, he found a good man who loved him, but he had always this idea that Phillip was the real love of his life, and sincerely Phillip has never once behaved like a good boyfriend.
On the other hand Andy did everything possible to lure Phillip to him, I think he even seduced him (if I read that part correctly), to then cheating on him as soon as they were finally together. Not only that, Phillip instead of leaving, or asking for a reason, cheated him back. And if someone wants to be finicky, he did that even before the material act, starting to think to another man.
All these ups and downs on the lives of these three men can only be justified by the fact they are really young, and I think also spoiled: all their parents, instead of trying to instill them a little of common sense, were always ready to support them in their mistakes, because they loved them, either because they were worried about the consequences of not to.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UV98JA/?...
March 6, 2012
I would have given this a five if it wasn't for the fact that I just couldn't understand why the two men kept fighting over Phillip and I thought one or other should have given up long before the end.
The thing that I liked best about it was that Phillip isn't your typical, bronzed god. He has flaws, lots of them and, as such he is very much someone people can relate to. I know I could. He struggles to unerstand the world around him and himself and he just can't make decisions. If only he could have then he would have saved a world of pain for himself and the two men who are unlucky enough to be in love with him.
It's not that he isn't an endearing character and, with his problems it's easy to understand how he has so much trouble making up his mind, it's just that you get so bloody frustrated as you see first one and then the other of his lovers getting hurt and SLD does SUCH a good job of making you fall for her characters that you hate them each in turn as they hurt the others.
It's one of those books which has a twist every chapter and you never know quite what's going to happen next. It's well written, tugs at the heart strings and has characters that are easy to relate to and to love.
The thing that I liked best about it was that Phillip isn't your typical, bronzed god. He has flaws, lots of them and, as such he is very much someone people can relate to. I know I could. He struggles to unerstand the world around him and himself and he just can't make decisions. If only he could have then he would have saved a world of pain for himself and the two men who are unlucky enough to be in love with him.
It's not that he isn't an endearing character and, with his problems it's easy to understand how he has so much trouble making up his mind, it's just that you get so bloody frustrated as you see first one and then the other of his lovers getting hurt and SLD does SUCH a good job of making you fall for her characters that you hate them each in turn as they hurt the others.
It's one of those books which has a twist every chapter and you never know quite what's going to happen next. It's well written, tugs at the heart strings and has characters that are easy to relate to and to love.
August 25, 2011
I was really looking forward to this one and was sorely disappointed. I think this is the first time that I've ever rated anything with two stars since I consider three as average.
Firstly, the author has absolutely no grasp on bi-polar disorder. That wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't such a big part of Phillip's life. I will give her the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe she researched, but wasn't successful in building Phillip with these attributes.
It seems odd to me that the characters when they were very young exhibited a lot more maturity than they did even in college. As soon as he was of relationship age, everything started to go downhill. I felt like I couldn't root for either relationship because I hated both other men for their attitudes. Phillip was a rag doll between them as they flung insults at each other.
Some reviewers clearly enjoyed it and I'm glad that they were touched by the story. It just didn't work for me.
Firstly, the author has absolutely no grasp on bi-polar disorder. That wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't such a big part of Phillip's life. I will give her the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe she researched, but wasn't successful in building Phillip with these attributes.
It seems odd to me that the characters when they were very young exhibited a lot more maturity than they did even in college. As soon as he was of relationship age, everything started to go downhill. I felt like I couldn't root for either relationship because I hated both other men for their attitudes. Phillip was a rag doll between them as they flung insults at each other.
Some reviewers clearly enjoyed it and I'm glad that they were touched by the story. It just didn't work for me.
June 9, 2011
At the age of twelve, Phillip Marnier has three strikes against him—he’s overweight, he’s bi-polar and he’s manic depressive. Being six foot tall only helps to keep him in the radar of his taunting peers. Then one morning, while riding his school bus, Phillip meets a new boy, two years his junior—Andrew Bradley-Horner—and his life will never be the same.
Phillip and Andy become fast friends—the first true friendship the troubled older boy has ever experienced. When Phillip hits puberty, he thinks his meds aren’t working, ‘cause things don’t feel the same, including what he feels for Andy. His perceptive mother tells him to be patient, it will come to him. When Phillip leaves Andy behind for high school, the younger boy is worried that he will lose his friend; he meets and becomes good friends with a young girl named Rachel, although she can never take Phillip’s place in his life.
When Phillip’s family takes him on a forced family vacation, he meets Robert Marshall, who actually goes to school not far from them. They become very close very quickly, and when each confess to liking boys, they share a first kiss together and become boyfriends. When he returns home and tells Andy his news, Phillips isn’t prepared for the other boy’s reaction. With time and gentle persuasion, Phillip finally gets to the heart of the matter—Andy is also gay and he has feelings for him. Quite the dilemma. And thus begins the start of a pattern which is fated to continue for a very long time.
Together they negotiate their high school years. Phillip leaves for college first, and Robert is right there with him. When Andy graduates high school and arrives as well, the triangle continues. Life is a definite rollercoaster, filled with highs and lows, and drama galore. Who will emerge the winner, possessing the heart of Phillip?
This novel spans sixteen years in the life of Phillip Marnier, and it has all of the drama of a soap opera. Phillip isn’t your typical hero—he has problems up the yin yang, and yet he has two supposedly hot guys fighting over him like two dogs over a bone. Frankly, I don’t know why, but that is immaterial. They do. This fight goes back and forth for years, as Phillip vacillates between them, although in the end, he invariably follows his heart. The trouble is, I think he also has a split personality, and he can never decide what he wants until after he ends up with something else.
The characters are certainly not stereotypical; if I had to choose my favorite character, it would have to be Andy. But on the whole, I also want to slap all of them. They cry sometimes at the drop of a hat, and their morals are certainly questionable. Add accidental fatherhood to what is already a train wreck, and there is a big mess to be sorted out.
SL Danielson’s style is not ornate or elaborate. As she once confessed to me, it is derived from doing a lot of report writing. It’s succinct and to the point. She deals with emotions, rather than descriptions, preferring to get to the heart of the matter—her characters, their emotions and their reactions. I have to admit the parents got on my nerves, being way too involved for adult men to put up with, but hey, I am willing to guess there are parents like these. And face it, when it’s your kid, you’ll take his side and protect him at all costs.
So, pull out a box of Kleenex, settle yourself in your easy chair, have a drink handy, and enjoy the story for what it is—a story of love, exploration and discovery. And fighting for the heart of Phillip.
Phillip and Andy become fast friends—the first true friendship the troubled older boy has ever experienced. When Phillip hits puberty, he thinks his meds aren’t working, ‘cause things don’t feel the same, including what he feels for Andy. His perceptive mother tells him to be patient, it will come to him. When Phillip leaves Andy behind for high school, the younger boy is worried that he will lose his friend; he meets and becomes good friends with a young girl named Rachel, although she can never take Phillip’s place in his life.
When Phillip’s family takes him on a forced family vacation, he meets Robert Marshall, who actually goes to school not far from them. They become very close very quickly, and when each confess to liking boys, they share a first kiss together and become boyfriends. When he returns home and tells Andy his news, Phillips isn’t prepared for the other boy’s reaction. With time and gentle persuasion, Phillip finally gets to the heart of the matter—Andy is also gay and he has feelings for him. Quite the dilemma. And thus begins the start of a pattern which is fated to continue for a very long time.
Together they negotiate their high school years. Phillip leaves for college first, and Robert is right there with him. When Andy graduates high school and arrives as well, the triangle continues. Life is a definite rollercoaster, filled with highs and lows, and drama galore. Who will emerge the winner, possessing the heart of Phillip?
This novel spans sixteen years in the life of Phillip Marnier, and it has all of the drama of a soap opera. Phillip isn’t your typical hero—he has problems up the yin yang, and yet he has two supposedly hot guys fighting over him like two dogs over a bone. Frankly, I don’t know why, but that is immaterial. They do. This fight goes back and forth for years, as Phillip vacillates between them, although in the end, he invariably follows his heart. The trouble is, I think he also has a split personality, and he can never decide what he wants until after he ends up with something else.
The characters are certainly not stereotypical; if I had to choose my favorite character, it would have to be Andy. But on the whole, I also want to slap all of them. They cry sometimes at the drop of a hat, and their morals are certainly questionable. Add accidental fatherhood to what is already a train wreck, and there is a big mess to be sorted out.
SL Danielson’s style is not ornate or elaborate. As she once confessed to me, it is derived from doing a lot of report writing. It’s succinct and to the point. She deals with emotions, rather than descriptions, preferring to get to the heart of the matter—her characters, their emotions and their reactions. I have to admit the parents got on my nerves, being way too involved for adult men to put up with, but hey, I am willing to guess there are parents like these. And face it, when it’s your kid, you’ll take his side and protect him at all costs.
So, pull out a box of Kleenex, settle yourself in your easy chair, have a drink handy, and enjoy the story for what it is—a story of love, exploration and discovery. And fighting for the heart of Phillip.
February 8, 2012
I don't really read much gay erotica, and I have to admit I was a little bit afraid to start. Maybe that makes me a middle aged homophobic, I don't know. What I do know is that the book was well written with characters I alternately wanted to get to know, scream at, worry about, and smack.
The characters are all extraordinary self-centered. Then, they're remarkably empathetic. You think you understand them and Danielson changes direction with them and you're thrown for a loop. It's crazy. She creates believable characters that are undeniably stupid and then completely astute. That's the mark of a skilled writer.
This is a good book, and the sexuality of the characters doesn't really matter. They're interesting and engaging and irritating and...well, I guess the word for it is "realistic." Great book, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
April 20, 2011
Wow what a story Phillip's journey through his teen years up to an adult were definitely an up and down roller coaster. Early on Phillip meets Andy a new kid to the area and it doesn't take long for Phillip to realize he's finding himself attracted to men. Andy doesn't make his intentions known early on. While on a vacation Phillip meets Robert who he develops an attraction towards, and then things spiral as Andy makes his intentions known as well. There is so much pain and suffering going on with Phillip as far as figuring out who he loves. This book was a great coming of age story where true love does work out in the end. I received this book from the author for a honest and fair review. I can truly say it was a great story of 3 men and how Phillip chose his true love in the end.
June 9, 2011
I couldn't enjoy this book. I just hate cheating in my romance. And the book is full of it. I suppose some see it as 'realistic', but it is also 'realistic' that many people do not cheat on their spouse.
October 19, 2011
immature writing, characters & plot. didnt like either of the 'by the numbers', so i'm not sure why i tried this one, but i should not have bothered; it wasn't any better.
June 7, 2018
Phillip has guys fighting over him, so he must be lovable, right? But he is utterly clueless about his own heart.
Again and again his autism spectrum leaves him wanting to please the wonderful men in his life, most sincerely, even as his guts rebel and his tongue is in knots.
Maybe it's because he grew up right next door to the best love there is and took it for granted? It's only when his protective instincts kick in that he can tell what is worth fighting for.
Danielson's minimalist style puts us squarely in Phillip's shoes for this wild ride.
Again and again his autism spectrum leaves him wanting to please the wonderful men in his life, most sincerely, even as his guts rebel and his tongue is in knots.
Maybe it's because he grew up right next door to the best love there is and took it for granted? It's only when his protective instincts kick in that he can tell what is worth fighting for.
Danielson's minimalist style puts us squarely in Phillip's shoes for this wild ride.
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November 9, 2018From Amos Lassen:
Phillip has known that he is gay since he was 13 years old. Because he is shy he did not have much luck meeting people but along came Andrew, another shy guy. They became fast friends and Andrew fell in love with Phillip. Sounds good, right” Hold on, Phillip had already fallen for someone else, Robert and this caused Andrew to stop being friends with Phillip and staying away. Phillip and Robert continued with their relationship and even spoke of getting married. Again, something causes the plot to shift when Andrew appears on the scene again. He once again wants Phillip and on one rainy evening, Robert is out and Andrew is in. Robert and Andrew are pitted against each other for the man they love.
Looking for and finding love is the theme of Danielson’s book and we see that the path to love can be an arduous journey. The book spans thirteen years and is filled with romance and twists and turns and we are there as Phillip is loved by two men—one who has been by his side through everything and the other who fell madly in love with him when he was sixteen. Here is the perfect summer read that requires nothing of you but the willingness to read a really good story
Phillip has known that he is gay since he was 13 years old. Because he is shy he did not have much luck meeting people but along came Andrew, another shy guy. They became fast friends and Andrew fell in love with Phillip. Sounds good, right” Hold on, Phillip had already fallen for someone else, Robert and this caused Andrew to stop being friends with Phillip and staying away. Phillip and Robert continued with their relationship and even spoke of getting married. Again, something causes the plot to shift when Andrew appears on the scene again. He once again wants Phillip and on one rainy evening, Robert is out and Andrew is in. Robert and Andrew are pitted against each other for the man they love.
Looking for and finding love is the theme of Danielson’s book and we see that the path to love can be an arduous journey. The book spans thirteen years and is filled with romance and twists and turns and we are there as Phillip is loved by two men—one who has been by his side through everything and the other who fell madly in love with him when he was sixteen. Here is the perfect summer read that requires nothing of you but the willingness to read a really good story
April 14, 2013
God!! I understand that Phillip couldn't decide between Rob and Andy due to his bipolarity (though i think he's really f**ed up), but for Andy and Rob to love him despite what he did to both of them?? NO WAY IN HELL!
Even though i coldn't stop reading the book till the end, just to know how it finished, I didn't enjoy the reading much. There were too many idiotic desitions and generally drama after drama, after drama, after drama...
Even though i coldn't stop reading the book till the end, just to know how it finished, I didn't enjoy the reading much. There were too many idiotic desitions and generally drama after drama, after drama, after drama...
April 2, 2011
DNF Reason -- This book was for review on Jessewave's blog, but was disqualified due to m/f content. It wasn't going to be a great review anyway ... I had several problems with the writing (dialogue, plotting, pacing, etc.), so I didn't feel particularly interested in finishing it for my own benefit.
August 5, 2011
Review to follow
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