| Title | : | Trust |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1419921797 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781419921797 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 91 |
| Publication | : | First published April 29, 2009 |
Trust Reviews
-
If I could give Trust more than 5 stars I would.
I wasn’t planning on reading or reviewing Trust yet. I have had a hard week, and had planned on reading Trust this weekend. Of course, when I bought it, I decided to peek at the storyline just to tease myself until the weekend. WRONG!
The minute I started reading this book, I was hooked!
It’s no secret that I have enjoyed every book I have read written by Shawn Lane. I enjoy the ride she takes me on when I start reading her books. I usually experience a range of emotions throughout reading her stories. Plus, I love her characters. In my opinion, they are always well developed, and the chemistry between them is addictive to read about. (Not to mention the HOT and SMOKIN’ SEX SCENES….WHEW!)
Justin Lowe and Brad Callahan had a serious relationship in college. Justin, a native from England, is a smart man with dreams of becoming a mystery writer someday, while Brad is well on his way to becoming a professional football player. Six months into their relationship, Justin is devastated when he comes upon Brad messing around with a teammate after a game. Despite Brad’s plea for another chance, Justin refuses to forgive him, and firmly wedges Brad out of his life.
Thirteen years later, Brad is a paramedic, who never got over Justin, or what he himself, did to sabotage their relationship. When Brad is called to a horrible car accident, he is horrified to see Justin in the wrecked car with serious injuries. Brad pulls out all the stops to rescue and keep Justin alive until he reaches the hospital. While Justin recovers, Brad cannot keep himself away even though his knows Justin may not want him around when he regains consciousness.
When Justin becomes conscious, he is more than a little shocked to see Brad in the hospital room. Even though Justin has fulfilled his dream of being a successful mystery writer, he has always missed his first love, Brad. But, Justin has never found it in his heart to forgive him.
As a fragile bond starts forming between them, Justin and Brad realize that the car accident was no accident at all. Someone is out to kill Justin, but who?
While Brad and Justin try to discover who is out to harm Justin and they start to rekindle their relationship, will Justin ever find it in his heart to forgive Brad and give their love a second chance? Better yet, will Brad ever forgive himself, and think he could ever be worthy of Justin’s love again?
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I HATE cheaters. There are very few books I have read that when hero cheats, I can either finish, or end up forgiving the hero along with the person he cheated on. I admit I was angry at Brad when Justin finds him with another man. I understood and applauded Justin’s decision to leave Brad.
BUT
It wasn’t long that I easily forgave Brad, wanted Justin to forgive him and for Brad to forgive himself.
I thought this was a beautifully written novel about rekindling lost love, forgiveness and learning to trust again. This may be my favorite Shawn Lane book, yet. Although, that’s a hard choice! -
I have said this before, I don't plan on reviewing books. I will leave that up to Jack and all of my friends here. BUT, I wanted to share that Trust is one of my all time favorite books.
Like everyone else, I hate reading about cheaters. Ironically, I had no idea when I started reading Trust, that one of the heroes was going to cheat. When Justin walked in on Brad cheating, I didn't know who was more surprised...me or him!
I expected to like Justin. I did NOT expect to love Brad.
This is where Shawn's writing is at her best. I know by my own reading experience, it's not often I like the cheater better than the one who was cheated on.
Brad is one of those heroes that is easy to stand behind. I loved Brad and Justin together. I enjoyed watching them reconnect and rekindle their relationship.
This is easily my favorite book I have read this year. I agree with Shell. It deserves more than 5 stars! -
Think FAST!
What will you do in this situation?
Your boyfriend of less than a year cheats on your with his random teammate and you break up with him. You're angry as hell for what he did and are quits. Then you guys meet again in thirteen years and when you survive a car crash and are able to stand on two feet, you do:
a) Curse his ass out some more because he broke your heart 13 years ago!
b) Make him regret what he passed up all those years ago and make him work his self back in your good graces. Let him redeem himself and you might call him...maybe.
c) Drop to your knees with no explanation and suck him off
Now, if you chose b, you're probably are a reader like me who doesn't mind cheaters in stories if they can redeem themselves and grovel appropriately and the ex's groveling is well written.
If you chose a, you know an ex is always a damn ex! And you don't waste your time on exes. F-ck 'em.
And if you chose c, well then do I have a M/M short story for you. It's called
Trust. It features a drop to his knees happy MC and his ex-boyfriend who did nothing to redeem himself or explain why he cheated those thirteen years ago. Oh and he's depressing a bit. This is the second book I've read by this author where one of the H's is a Debbie Downer.
<~~~ My face after reading this story. -
I echo what Shayne, Ashley, Shellie, EH and Brenda said about the book - it's wonderful and I LOVED Brad. Oh, and Justin, too. How can I resist a hot Brit? ;)
-
Shawn, i'm blaming you again for my lack of sleep!! It's 2 in the morning and i'm going for another round (have to work tomorrow...)
I won't say much because there has been wonderful reviews of this book already.
I'll only say: AWSOME AMAZING BREATHTAKING!
Within the first ten pages i found myself crying for Justin.Then i couldn't hate Brad at all. Actually, i love him, nearly as much as he love Justin_lol
Shawn get to me every time with characters i can't help falling in love with. Justin and Brad are so human, so mature: one thing i really liked is that that the author did not try to minimized the trahison behind words like alcohol or forced or wasn't aware of...
There is a big mistake and there is love: and it's all "can we make it work?_ is this relationship worth it"
Trust is defintely my favourite of all Shawn Lane's book. -
Characters
Brad Callahan - The young man who had the world on a string, but one mistake and he ends up as the man with one too many memory to regret.
Justin Lowe’s – The young man who grew up to be a well known mystery writer. There is also a mystery of late in his life, but nothing more important than coming face to face with the one man he has never been able to forget.
The Plot
When Brad Callahan broke Justin Lowe's heart, little did he know that more than a decade later he would still be wearing the scars from the event.
Now a man getting on with day to day life as best he can, he’s called out to a traffic accident to see the boy he loved now a man trapped in a car and it’s almost more than he can take.
Visiting Justin in hospital, lead to Brad taking him home after he reveals that the accident that he was involved in was no accident. With unresolved issues left over from years ago between them, passion quickly ignites and natural curiosity leads them to explore the past decade without each other.
However with all the heat these two produce someone is out to get at least one of them and with Brad not sure where he stands with Justin – they take baby steps, but is it too much too late.
Smut/Ick Factor
Not enough in my opinion, these two have some chemistry between them, even after more than a decade apart, the something special that clicked between all those years ago was still there years later. There is no swinging from the rafters, but lots of touching and those looks that promise so much was very much in evidence.
Positive
The character themselves were a treat – I always love Ms. Lane’s protags, not only do you not know what sort of chip they will end up having on their shoulders, but you never know where they end going with the battle within them.
I love the transition setting of the book, it starts off with obviously the event and then leads up to the main plot – no in hindsight for this book - nice.
Quite an emotional read, with the emphasis being on “TRUST”, how easily it is to lose it and the lengths you will have to go through to get it back.
I love the vulnerability that Ms. Lane brings out in these men, it is not often that you see a protag that is able to open himself up to hurt and even ridicule if the worst scenario plays out. The little moment of insecurity and bravado were few but they brought a smile to my face.
I love the angst between nosy parents and their son and son’s lover and vengeful parent – it was so today it could be my parent..
It’s probably weird of me, but there is definately a feel of penance to this book, self justification for past wrong and i like it.
There were some underlining issues that was never developed, it was a short read – so that is naturally expected, however i do hope Ms Lane revisit Justin and Brad once they get some mileage on their relationship.
Negative
Not perfect by any mean, but not enough issues to make a song and dance about. TRUST was a sweet read, it was over before i realized it – you’ll easily get caught up in the magic of Brad and Justin.
Cover
I like the cover alot, Firstly there are Nekkid men showing lots of abs, more over every time i look at the cover i see something different – not only does it have a “what could be” feel to it, but it’s heavy on the eeriness - the eyes in the back ground is too spooky… -
I wasn't going to read this book. I hate cheaters. But, everyone has seemed to love it, so I thought I would give it a try anyway.
I loved it! I cared for Brad as much as I did for Justin! I loved how they rebuilt their relationship and found one another again. -
3.5 stars
Nice story about two former lovers who were apart for 13 years and try to reconnect after crossing paths again. -
2.5 stars rounded up
There were some frustrating aspects to this book. The editing was not too good. The language a bit stiff. The plot not drawn out properly.
Julian and Brad were lovers back when they were in college. Brad was caught by Julian in a compromising situation and Julian ended the relationship. Thirteen years later Julian, now a successful mystery writer, is back in California and in a car accident. Brad is one of the paramedics that helps rescue him, and things re-develop between them.
It's the I-loved-you-then-I-can't-forget-you-and-I-still-love-you-now type of books. Yes, that's a long category :) I like that type of premise. I can be a sucker for it, as unrealistic as it usually is. It's fiction, whatever. However this wasn't executed particularly well. Julian still loves Brad but can't forgive him, so I say either get over it and be together or move on, plenty of other fish in the ocean, honey. There has to be a statute of limitations on these sorts of things - you were young, someone made a mistake OR you just don't want to be with them again. Done! Over! But, no, Julian agonises over it, all while getting his rocks off...of course. Brad has self-punished for thirteen years to the point of absurdity. Julian is being sent threatening emails and more. Now he says he's been run off the road. No-one seems to take him seriously, except Brad.
The bad guy was known to me right away. There were typos in key areas -instead of 'he liked seeing his head bobbing up and down on his cock' it was "bopping" his cock. Ouch, sounds painful.
On the plus side it was sweet. If you're looking for quick, plenty of sex, and light hearted this could be your go. It's not serious or maudlin and I appreciated that so 2.5 stars. -
uh after what happened in the prologue i expected this to go differently then it did. the story was too short and had way too much sex to really get into the plot. every time something serious came up instead of talking about it they just had sex
-
3.5 stars
This was a cute, sweet story that was an easy read. The flashback of the initial point where the couple kissed was a bit unrealistic, with the two talking then suddenly calling out each others name and coming across the kitchen like they are running across a field of wild flowers in slow mo, but otherwise this was a nice read. -
I really didn't believe that I would have any sympathy for Brad. Cheating is a deal breaker for me. I usually don't read books about them, especially my romance books, but Brad surprised me. I actually felt empathy for him. I liked him.
He deserved his second chance. -
A
Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Reunited lovers and Shawn Lane? This was a no brainer for me and I was quick to pick it up. Lane writes characters that endear themselves to me, and I’m a sucker for reunion romances. This book is definitely a winner on those fronts. While I wished for a little more development in a few areas, this book was a quick, lovely read.
Justin and Brad had a messy break up, and we get to see it in real time in the prologue. The emotions come through clearly, and my heart just broke for them both in that moment. Yes, Brad screwed up royally, but he’s hurting as much as Justin is when things end. I liked that we then get Brad’s POV to start the book. Lane shows how he’s suffered and regretted all these years, and we see the moment when he finds Justin in the car. The emotion-packed beginning really drew me into the book.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety
here. -
I really liked this story and I found myself sympathizing with Brad even more, than with Justin. Very sweet and hot book.
I have only one gripe, though. I agree with Dane, that the whole Brad never had sex with anyone after he cheated just didn't seem believable. I get that it was done for emphasizing his guilt and self-punishing, but seriously that was way over the top, imo. I mean I've never yet met a healthy man, who could live 13 years without sex.
But I just ignored this thing and other that that the book sure was very good! -
I liked this for the most part. I loved the premise, I liked Justin, mostly liked Brad, and I like a simple mystery that I don't have to think too hard about. But there were two real sticking points for me that I just couldn't get past to give this the four or five stars I would have otherwise.
(Note: I went into this story knowing there was cheating. It's not the infidelity I take issue with, it's the way the aftermath was dealt with.)
*begin rant*
1. No explanation for the cheating. Brad says it was just the once, it just happened, but why? Why did it happen? And why the hell should Justin believe him when he said and meant 'that wasn't what you think you saw' when he's pulling his uncomplaining dick out of someone's mouth. He says he wasn't trying to sabotage their relationship but I'm not sure what other motivation he could have had that made sense. He'd had a beer but unless he's the world's worst one-shot Sally, that's not a reason. It frustrated me that he never offered Justin any closure if the form of an explanation, even if it was just "I was horny and couldn't wait till I got to the car park".
2. Pointing the finger of blame at Justin. Brad talked some pretty good talk about how it was all his fault but there was an undercurrent of 'but Justin should have forgiven him' all the way through the story. His pain was referred to as "Foolish pride" and "Old hurts." No. Betrayal fucking hurts. It doesn't matter if it was yesterday or 13 years ago. In a relationship where monogamy has been agreed upon, the betraying party does not get the high moral ground just because he chooses to be celibate for the next 13 years in penance. That was his decision, his self-imposed consequence, just as it was his decision to let another guy suck his cock. Justin never demanded the penance, never told Brad he'd take him back if he showed enough remorse. Justin made his decision clear from the moment he saw Brad shoving his dick into someone else's mouth. He does not get blamed for Brad's shitty choices.
*end rant*
Apart from that, the story was well written and mostly well paced, although it did feel a bit rushed in a couple of places: the reuniting of the MCs and the resolution of the stalker subplot.
It wasn't a bad read overall. I finished it in an hour or so and, if the cheating thing hadn't bashed my buttons, I would have rated it higher. -
This is the third story from Shawn Lane that I read. I’ve read them all in a row and all three were different and very enjoyable reads. I like her variety in characters, situations and settings. And although the stories were short (all three 55 pages or less) they have well developed characters and plots. The strength of her stories is probably situated in the fact that her protags share a history with each other, so she doesn’t have to deal with the trap of insta-love. But I suspect that even without that shared history Shawn Lane can make the romance believable within that limited amount of pages.
The shared history is present in ‘Trust’. Brad and Justin were an item in college, 13 years ago. Their relationship ended badly when Justin caught Brad cheating. Fast forward 13 years and the guys meet again, coincidentally, when Justin gets in a car accident and Brad is one of the paramedics who are coming to his rescue. I loved how these guys, who appeared to be all wrong for each other, couldn’t help themselves and felt indisputably drawn to the other man again. They have to deal with a murderous stalker which makes it necessary for them to spend time together and that leads to a lot of hot smexing. And in the end they have to deal with their feelings, which all boils down to trust and distrust. The author has some heart ache in store for them and an eye opening, thrilling disclosure. She effectively forced me as a reader to make the emotional and stirring ride with them. And it was fabulous. I really loved spending my time with Brad and Justin and I would instantly purchase a sequel if she wrote one (she didn’t, did she?).
4.5 stars -
3.5 Stars
This review might contain mild spoilers
What worked for me *happy dance*
* Brad was a genuinely great guy who made an awful mistake. I did come to like his character by the end.
* The sex was pretty hot once they got it started.
* I liked the dynamics between the two characters. The mystery writer and the paramedic.
* Brads Mother - she was so irritating but a great mum in my mind.
What didn't work for me *face palm*
* Brad never explained why he cheated. I had forgiven him by the end of the book because of his legitimate guilt, but I would have liked a reason.
* 13 years of celibacy sounds like a great fiction title. Thats because I think its complete fiction that some guy can go that long without hiding the salami if you get what I mean. Yes I do understand he felt guilt but 13 years of celibacy over a blowjob is a bit extreme for me.
* The length of the time they were apart. 13 years is just so long without having some kind of contact. If Brad did feel such overwhelming guilt then he should have tried more to contact Justin.
* The bad guy was WAAAAYYYY to easy to figure out.
In conclusion I can recommend this story to anyone wanting a light bit of fluff to read. -
13 years after breaking up in college, Brad , now a paramedic is called to an accident and finds out its his old boyfriend Justin.
The book takes us from Justin waking up in the hospital and through him and Brad together and deciding if its for good or just a casual thing.
There is a mystery where so eone is out to Kill Justin. However, I did decide who this was early on in the book and was proved right. That saying its a nice read, proving you should never be agraid to take another chance. -
I wish this story was longer so it could have gone into more depth with the forgiveness and trust issues which I really enjoyed reading about. It all got wrapped up a little too quickly once they met again for me. But I did like the fact that the author tried to deal with the pain of infidelity on BOTH sides. The cheated and the cheater... I just wish there was more of it!
-
~ 3.5 Stars ~
I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, when one of the main characters screwed up horribly and then redeems themselves. I want to see that revelation of what they caused, what they lost, and love reading about what they will do to get it back. While Trust, being a shorter length, doesn’t delve quite as deep into the process, it was still sweet if a little bit rushed and unbelievable.
Check your reality and reactions at the door when entering the world of Brad and Justin. See, Brad cheated on Justin more than a decade before, while they were in college. Justin was devastated, to the point that he changed his number and moved to get away from the pain. Brad apparently got the metaphorical slap upside the head that he needed, and did a dramatic one-eighty with his life.
Flash forward thirteen years. Brad had his “a-ha” moment in college and is a changed man. He is an EMT and lives a pretty lonesome life and is angry at himself for the pain he caused Justin and losing him to his own stupidity. When Brad gets called to a car accident, who does he find in the car? None other than the man he can’t get over and never stopped loving—Justin. Though Brad is pretty dang sure Justin loathes him, still, he continues to check Justin daily while the man is comatose, because Justin has no one and Brad needs to be with him. Quite a way to cross each other’s paths, right? But, here is where I had to let go of reality and tag along on the surreal-ness of it all. Justin opens his eyes, and the hurt and pain I expected to manifest, the horror at seeing the man who broke his heart and cheated on him, the anger at the man who changed the way he trusted in relationships was…absent. He immediately latches on to Brad and goes to Brad’s place to recover, and in no time at all, they are on their way to mending their relationship. A bunch of sexy times are definitely on their list of how to make that one happen, and are used to avoid actually talking about their feelings more often than not. Which, now that I think on it, that part isn’t all that unrealistic.
Despite the implausibility of it all, I was looking for a cute and quick second change romance, and that is what I got. Yes, it was completely unbelievable; there is very little time to jump into the deep end and hash up old hurts and feelings and work through them in a realistic way. On top of it all, there is a portion of the plot dedicated to the mystery of Justin’s accident and threats he has been receiving, but in all honesty, I didn’t actually want a lot of deep tragic emotions or a high-tension and angst factor. I was looking for something much milder. When I signed up for this book, I read some reviews and saw it didn’t appear to be drenched in angst, rather just a wee bit sprinkled throughout. I was looking for something sweeter, something where there is an HEA and that left me with a smile on my face, and that is what happened here.
So sure, it’s a little fast paced and it tends to push what is realistic, but it is also adorable. Despite the shorter length, both Brad and Justin are fairly well developed. Brad was so thrown off by Justin’s actions and reactions. Justin was so confused by Brad’s life and comments he made. They both still loved each other and wanted each other but questioned themselves. They were sweet together. I honestly didn’t even need the whole mystery, which was not really a mystery because I figured that one out pretty quickly, but it still continued the flow of the story and kept the two outside of the bedroom.
Would I recommend this one? Sure, if the reader goes into it with open eyes, like I did, and knows what they are jumping into. Admittedly, it’s not a book I would always be in the mood for myself. I tend to prefer longer stories with much more angst, and if there is a mystery, one that keeps me guessing and on the edge of my seat. But that’s the thing about moods. That isn’t what I always want. Sometimes I need a lighter touch, a story that isn’t so heavy and just keeps me tagging along happily and ending with a smile. Trust may not be what I usually look for, but it hit the spot for what I wanted in this particular case, and that is what ultimately matters.
Reviewed by Lindsey for
The Novel Approach -
When Justin Lowe, of 'Trust' by Shawn Lane, is involved in a serious car accident, one of the attending paramedics is Brad Callahan, his cheating ex-boyfriend from college. They haven't seen each other for thirteen years, but still carry a torch for each other, no matter how hard they have tried to put their relationship behind them.
Brad visits Justin while he's recuperating, hoping against hope that when Justin wakes up, he will want Brad to be there. Brad has never been able to forget Justin yet never thought he’d see him again. Not expecting anything to come of it, he sees this as an opportunity to apologize and receive Justin's forgiveness. Since Justin has nowhere to stay, Brad invites him to use his guestroom and Justin accepts. To Brad's surprise, Justin almost immediately initiates sex; Brad certainly isn't going to say no!
When they get around to talking, Justin tells Brad about harassing messages, packages, and break-ins that he's been dealing with in New York. Justin also tells Brad that the car crash was no accident; that they were forced off the road. Brad doesn't know what to believe until, while crossing the street, a car comes roaring down the road, and, at the last minute, swerves in Justin’s direction. Justin barely avoids getting hit. This event can't, in any way, be considered an accident; someone is definitely out to hurt Justin and they have to find out who before he tries again.
This is an easy love story about forgiveness and second chances. There's a fair amount of sex for such a short book. Personally, I would have liked more conversation before they jumped into bed. Thanks, Shawn, for giving Justin and Brad another opportunity to get it right.
NOTE: This book was provided by JMS Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. -
Ok read
I liked this book but didn't love it. I thought Brad not sleeping with anyone for 13 years was a bit unrealistic. Especially since it was a mistake that basically happened when he was a kid. Justin seemed too bitter and it all just seemed a bit over the top. However, it didn't stop Justin jumping straight into Brad's pants. I still enjoyed the story though. They got their HEA eventually. -
Brad and Justin were lovers in college. Brad played football. One day after a game Justin caught Brad with his pants down getting a blowjob from another player. Justin broke up with him. Brad said he was sorry over and over again. Justin moved away.
Thirteen years later Brad is a paramedic in California. He's been following Justin's career as a mystery writer. Brad gets called to the scene of an accident. The driver is DOA. The passenger is Justin who is alive. Brad visits Justin in the hospital. He finds out that Justin believes he was run off the road.
The story is good. I personally wouldn't go without sex for 13 years. I can see Justin's point of view about not trusting Brad after he cheated. But 13 years seems like a long time to hold that against someone. -
The reason why stories with former lovers are my favorites are because the possibility of emotion and tense they can invoke. This one has a very good premise, I am giddy when I read the prologue. However, the rest of the story doesn't really satisfy me. While I like both Brad and Justin, I feel that their reunion is WAY to quick. Whatever it is between them is resolved too early. I prefer to have more confrontation or discussion about what happened between them previously rather than pages of sex (even if they're nice).
-
I really enjoy Shawn Lane's romance reads. They're all different that range from bits of 16 page romances to longer books. Justin and Brad were boyfriends in college until cheating drives them to breakup. Thirteen years later, they meet in a set of unlikely circumstances. Justin's situation forces the two men together in an uncomfortable dance of will they-won't they while dealing with trust issues that were never resolved. Very engaging, strong writing (with some typos but none that took me out of the book) and two very interesting MCs.
-
I really liked it, the characters were a little over-dramatized, but works for the story, I didn't like Brad's step-father he was a douche, another thing a didn't liked is that the ending seems a little rushed, and the fact that the stalker get's uglified in order for us to like him less, it would have been better if he was portrayed just as a normal/handsome guy who loved his best friend and was hurt until he breaks, without all the got fat and stuff.
-
Nice story. I don't know if I'd personally call it a "tear-jerker," but it does have an unfortunate beginning. I did see the story's climax coming (mostly), but I do for most stories.
I liked the development of Brad and Justin; I thought their motivations were pretty true for some folks.
There were a couple of typographical and grammatical errors. Still a very solid 3.5-4 star story for me. -
Well, when you are young and you make a mistake by having sex with somebody who is not your partner, that's not a very nice thing to do. But to be punished for 13 years? Justin and Brad meet again when Brad's helps Justin after a car accident but although the physical attraction is still there, Justin doesn't trust him. This is just too silly to be the basis for a convincing story. Now, it's nothing else but a mediocre read for some off-time in the weekend...
-
This is more of a 3.5 stars.
It had some errors in the story, and Brad's mother kind of drove me somewhat nuts.
Her profession gave her no right to say what she did and she was very bias for her to give out any kind of advice.
Otherwise, the cheating didn't bother me because of their age at the time.
People do change with age, but I do wish they had flesh out their current relationship a bit more. -
A very entertaining short story. I don't usually like reading about cheaters (once a cheater, always a cheater...) but I find I can believe Brad has changed so it worked for me. The overall story line, especially for a short story, was unique and well-paced. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
