The Boy Next Door

A long time crush finally fulfilled. It was okay, but nothing more... Easily forgettable. <br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1421323632ra/13358946.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

What a lovely little short about taking a risk before an opportunity passes by. I really loved how the willow and the Luna moths figured into the story. A sweet, sweet, boy next door tale that left me saying, "Aw<a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www">www</a>...&quot; And it's free!

I just loved Kyle, so earnest, so sweetly determined to win his man and prove to him he can and will be everything Raymond needs. And even IF Raymond "says" he doesn't know yet if he loves Kyle... Actions speak louder than words and he more or less said so in my mind when he made reference to how Heinlein defined love. :) <br /><br />I too loved how the story came full circle with the cycle of the Luna moth. <br /><br />Beautiful PD, this rates right up there for me with your Mountain Series! <br /><br /><br />

I have no memory of this story, even though I've read it. So I'm rereading it. <br /><br />This is a cute, free short.<br />Kyle has always admired the older neighbor boy Raymond and somewhere along the way he fell in love.<br />Now all he has to do is take a chance and see if Raymond might see him as more than the little boy he used to be.<br />

Not that I'm shocked or anything, but guh. This is one of the things I find so captivating about PD's stories--most would have gone with a pining-away-for-years-lost-in-desperation approach, but Kyle acted, reacted and thought like the adult he was. He knew, because he'd very obviously thought about it, weighed and measured it, made his decision, and then went for it. It was beautiful to watch. And so was the practicality with which they both approached their new circumstance. So wonderfully done. <br />

4.5 but rounding up because I liked them kissing under the willow tree.

Free, short and hot!!! Loved it!

The Boy Next Door is a free novella about two men that grew up next door to each other. One man is quite a few years older, with about a 14 year age difference. The younger man has waited all these years to get a chance to show his feelings. A sweet story.<br /><br />Don't Read in the Closet is a collection of short stories published for free for members of the M/M Romance Group. The best part of this series of shorts is that they were based on a photo and a reader request for a story. Here is the photo and reader request that inspired this story (Warning contains M/M situation with non-graphic nudity): <br /><br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/591758-pd-singer-the-boy-next-door-7-18">http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...</a>

I loved how you invoked the same tender determination found in the photo into your story. The willow tree and the Luna moth are lovely touches illustrating the natural and circular nature of their relationship. Beautiful!

Didn’t care for the writing it felt distant to me and confusing. Took a while for me to know what character was which and had trouble following along with it. <br><br><span>[image error]</span>