Customer Reviews

M4M (A Collection of Gay Erotic Romance)

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VGL Male Seeks Same

VGL Male Seeks Same is a phenomenal story about the search for love and the one person we can connect with in every way. I absolutely adored the character of Ethan, his sharp witty humor and his emotions that are worn on his sleeve. As a person that has used internet dating, I connected with him immediately and Reed nailed the reactions and thoughts that come with such a unique way of meeting people.

Things of course are not as simple as they may seem for Ethan and, although I must admit that I guessed what was to come, it was truly a joy to read from beginning to end. The messages back and forth between Ethan and Brian are quite touching and make Ethan's angst over what to do about his deception that much more substantial. My heart was completely invested in Ethan's journey and I laughed and cried along with him. Overall this is a captivating story that had me on the edge of my seat to the very end. This is the second of Reed's stories that I have read and I am now officially a huge fan. As are many of his other stories, this is set in Chicago, my current hometown, and those familiar with the city will love the details throughout. It is obvious that Reed still loves the city. The humor throughout this story is exceptional yet doesn't disrupt the more serious themes. The ending is true perfection even if the last line is, "He really needed to pee." I cannot more highly recommend this story for all readers!

NEG UB2

NEG UB2 is a follow-up story to VGL Male Seeks Same and is just as phenomenal as the first story. This picks up six months later, and Ethan and Brian are wonderfully happy. They are in love, and moving toward spending the rest of their lives together when life throws Ethan a huge curve ball. His new HIV status sends him reeling and Brian is unfortunately the object of his anger and frustrations. The emotional reactions of Ethan are gritty and so very realistic. No one takes becoming HIV positive lightly, and Ethan goes through what I am sure so many people that have been through this will recognize. As always Reed isn't afraid to be upfront and as real as possible with his characters, even when it doesn't reflect the character in the best light.

This story excels because it goes beyond just Ethan's internal struggle and explores how he is struggling to regain a firm grasp on his life. He's dealing with his own health and mortality, his questions about Brian, the one person he thought he could trust, and the desperation of not having anyone or anywhere to turn to. Ethan lashes out at life with a fierce and raw passion, but it is in an attempt to come to terms with and understand why this is happening to him.

The relationship between Ethan and Brian began on the internet, and it's only fitting that when Ethan needs comfort and an outlet for his emotional turmoil that he turns to the internet. The blog be begins, Off to See the Wizard of Poz, marks the beginning of the path to emotional healing for Ethan, to accepting his new diagnosis. Reed nails the core of why so many people start blogs, for acceptance, a sense of community and to not feel so alone in the world. The content of the blog posts is heartbreaking at times and fierce at others, but it is always stirring and genuine.

The part of the book that ties to the title is when Ethan returns to the internet dating site where he met Brian. With a different outlook on life due to his recent diagnosis, Ethan notices a phenomenon that is quite distressing to him.

"But he was also shocked by a term he had never paid much attention to, but which now appeared over and over: 'Neg. UB2.' It was easy enough to translate the term into English for the non-Internet savvy: 'Negative. You be too.' Ethan was surprised and dismayed by how many times the term popped up. He supposed it had been there before, when he had been a full-fledged member of the site, but not having such a personal connection to the affront, he had most likely not made much note of it.

Now the term seemed callous, cruel, and exclusionary."

Ethan has a new view of this horrid and exclusionary term, and relates how it makes him feel less desired by seeing how rampant it is among the dating site. So many men willing to dismiss a possible match simply due to HIV status is depressing and sad. He relates in a blog about how important it is to look beyond health status when searching for love, and this very poignant observation is a big step toward healing for Ethan.

Along with everything that Ethan is going through, this is at its core a romantic tale. Ethan was falling more and more in love with Brian and when he thinks he has lost that relationship he is left reeling. This story, when all the layers are ripped away, is about how a person who is HIV positive can still find his or her happy ending. The fact that in this day and age people still need to be told this is a bit sad, but Reed has written a moving story that many will surely enjoy. Possibly the strongest quote of the entire story comes near the end and is a true definition of love. "Love was based on faith, and faith was really nothing more than hope, something indescribable and real in our hearts. And certainly not something that could be quantified or proven beyond a reasonable doubt." Who can possibly argue with that.

M4M is actually two short online stories that author Reed pulled together for this. The first is "VGL Male Seeks Same". It's about a 42 year old gay man named Ethan who, out of desperation, tries online dating. However he uses somebody elses pic in his profile. Then he meets the man of his dreams...but how to confess that isn't his pic? The second "NEG UB2" is about Ethan discovering he's HIV+ and how he deals with it.

I'm familar with Reed through his wonderful but incredibly gory and scary fiction. I heard this was romance, comedy and drama mixed. I didn't think he could do comedy or romance. I'm pleased to admit I was 100% wrong. The first story is VERY funny (and very truthful) about the online world of gay dating. The characters are complex, real people and the situation are thoroughly believable. The comedy stops with the second story and the drama kicks in. Ethan's reaction to finding he's HIV+ positive is completely logical (some of my friends have it). Not fun to read but truthful. And, surprisingly, both stories have a strong romantic feel to them and they both end on positive (sorry) notes. It's a short book (only 109 pages) and very affordable. Highly recommended.

VGL Male Seeks Same by Rick R. Reed

This is quite a tender tale for a writer that usually I associate to more "creepy" tales. Ethan is a 42 years old very "normal" looking guy. He has a good job, a love for quite and comfortable thing, a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood... everything perfect if not for the fact that Ethan is lonely. He is past the age to go cruising in the gay club, and even when he was in the age, he didn't like it. The type of man you can pick in that place is not the man Ethan is searching: he wants someone to share a life, to spend time together other than in bed, to be proud to take home... Ethan wants romance. But romance seems unattainable, but Ethan persist and try one last time, with an dating online website. Ethan is sincere, he posts his real profile, his life and a nice pic of him, and he gets no reply. Than he leaves all the same other than the pic, and he finds his mailbox full. Among the more than forgettable emails he finds one worthy: Brian is a 45 years old man, who likes almost the same things Ethan likes, who wants all the same things Ethan wants, and who is as very good looking as Ethan's new profile pic... that it's not as Ethan really looks.

The story is very nice, not so short, 59 pages, but still short enough to be read during a lunch break :-) It's even more nice since it's sincere, I believe it describes an event more common than not, but it has also an ending that appeals to the romance's lover that is in me. As I said it surprised me, since I believe this is the first time I read a Rick R. Reed's book with an happy ever after ending... but it let me also perplexed, since to be the end really true to the story, Brian's behavior should be a little different or at least I should have an explanation by him on his reasons. Anyway this is a problem of mine, maybe sometime the realist that is in me won over the romance's lover!

NEG UB2 by Rick R. Reed

In more than 2 years that I read gay romance, I have never read about a HIV+ character; I read about man who worried about it, who waited for the diagnosis, and happily it was negative, I read about man who lost friends, I read about man who were uber-safe... but where are all those men who are HIV+ and still deserves a romance? AIDS was, and sometime still is a deadly virus, but there are more and more cases today of men who can "living positively", enjoying their life with a little more of precautions than before, precautions that probably it would be better to always take, but this is the life and you have to face it.

In VGL Male Seeks Same, Ethan was a 40 something years old man who finally found the love of his life. Everything was perfect, above all since it was not a too much pink glasses perspective on the world: Ethan found his love on the net, like probably many men today, and Brian was not a prince charming, but more a best friend type, but nevertheless, the love and sex were great, and Ethan and Brian walked toward the sunset together and happily ever after... almost. Now months later, Ethan finds out he is HIV+... since he was almost celibate before, and truth be told, he met Brian online, and you all know what this means, the most obvious explanation is that Brian passed the virus to him. Was he aware of it? Or maybe Brian cheated on him and, worst than the cheating itself, he was not safe?

We follow Ethan's difficult first days after the discovery, wondering what it was and what it will be; his working of mind is sincere and true, Ethan passes from being angry to scared to lonely. He has no family and so he searches for comfort and assurance on the net, the same place where probably he also "found" the virus, but it's the only place where he can go, and for once, the net replies to his plea of support.

And we follow Ethan deals also with Brian, the man to hate... at first Ethan is all for denial, denial that what happened to him was not his fault; Brian is the evil man, it's all his fault. But then Ethan realizes that Brian is someone like him, Ethan, someone that didn't gave the right importance to this plague of the XX century. Even if Brian is guilty this doesn't mean that Ethan is innocent, they both have their faults.

This is a novella that is really true, sincere and open, without loosing the romance; it's a light in the blackness that falls down upon whom discovers to be ill, and it gives hope. It doesn't give an answer, and I like that, even in the end, it doesn't explain who is wrong and who is right, the important thing is to cope and move on, always thinking positive to live positive.