When the World was a Blank Page

by Veronica Sloane

Scotch never imagined that his first time would be in the backseat of a car, but his new boyfriend Jimmy can talk him into anything. As snow falls outside, they talk, laugh, and discover brand new things about one another.

Genres: M M Romance

13 pages, ebook

First published January 16, 2013

About the author

Vee lives in NY with their husband, child, and cat.

Reviews

[Serena Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

As stories about first times go, this is definitely a sweet one. Told in a wistfully romantic tone, it gives us just enough details about Jimmy and Scotch to understand who they are. How they met, what they want in life, and what’s important to them, other than each other. Without getting sappy, they are still clearly well on the way to falling in love.

Scotch is a little hesitant about taking the next step, but Jimmy is patient and experienced enough to encourage him to try. That, more than anything, convinces Scott that he is in safe hands. He is not a man of big dreams, but when they make love, he is pleasantly surprised how good it feels. They even get to cuddle afterward – despite the fact that they're in a cold car and snow is falling outside. It just goes to show that inner warmth can be more important than the environment sometimes.

If you're looking for a short read, if you enjoy stories about first time, and if a little romance (not too much) is your thing you may like this short story about a new beginning.




NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very short story, it feels like it's capturing what I hope is the beginning of a love between Jimmy and Scotch.
Jimmy and Scotch met six weeks ago, in the brief span of that conversation we see that Jimmy has lots of dreams and is open and outgoing, Scotch has simpler wishes, he wants a home, a place to feel safe. Safe is something I get the feeling is important for Scotch.
Fast forward to New Years, they are parked in a cold car, it's snowing and Jimmy is being just a little romantic. He wants to take their relationship further but he doesn't pressure Scotch, he just encourages.
It feels realistic, it's cold and the car isn't the most comfortable place and Scotch is a little hesitant but he also wants it, Jimmy is sweet and keeps the mood light.
This is a story of first times and with hope for more.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.

This story had potential, but I found there were a few chunks missing that left me wondering what happened. It begins with the two men sitting in the car in the snow, and then there is a bit of a flashback as Scotch remembers how they met, on another cold night. Scotch was sitting outside his apartment as his roommates host a party. Soon he’s joined by Jimmy who lives across the street who strikes up a conversation. The story then cuts back to several weeks later where the two are sitting in a car in the cold looking at the newly fallen snow in a park. After chatting for a bit, Jimmy convinces (without much effort) Scotch to have sex in the backseat, Scotch’s first time.

It was the skipped portion that left me wondering what happened. How did they go from chatting on the steps to dating. Jimmy is much more open than Scotch. Scotch seems to be a wanderer, temporarily finding a place to stay until he moves on, but you never really find out much about him. Where he came from or what brought him there remains a mystery. While you don’t find out anything about Jimmy either, you get the impression he’s just a regular guy. I did like how Jimmy brought out a side of Scotch that you could tell was not normally there. He had difficulty believing that Jimmy really cared about him, but I got that sense of hope and wonder from him.

There’s not much to the story, just the meeting and the sex. The sex is realistically done for a first time, but Jimmy is tender and caring and wants to make it as good as he can for Scotch’s first time. Scotch is suitably nervous. You can tell there is caring on Jimmy’s side and tentative hope that it’s real on Scotch’s. As with most super shorts, it’s hard to get a handle on the characters and a little longer story would have been nice, but still, this is the second story I’ve read by this author and I really like her style and I liked the atmosphere of the guys being cloistered in the car and surrounded by the snow and quiet, that sense of being alone in the world of white.

[Becky Condit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m going to be honest here; it’s very difficult to review a short story without giving too much away. Short stories seldom have the opportunity to build the characters enough for people to connect with them in a meaningful way. I believe that Scotch could be a very interesting character with his outlook on life. I also think that Jimmy could be unique in his own way (his hobby is collecting keys).

Please see Mr P's complete review on February 9, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....