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Liaisons #2
Question Mark
Coming back from being well and truly dumped is a struggle for the average guy. For Mark Newland, it’s much, much worse. With a long string of broken relationships behind him, Mark is confronted with a grow up and fix the man he’s become, or continue on his lonely and bitter path. With reinvention in mind, Mark heads for a vacation in Bora Bora, hoping it will bring him closer to what he wants. He simply never figured it would be in the form of Hollywood’s most eligible gay bachelor, Zane Whitlow. If Zane is suspicious of romance, he blames it entirely on his career. Never totally sure that men he’s been with wanted him over a taste of his fame, he errs on the side of caution when it comes to love. Until he meets Mark Newland, that is. Only hours into his vacation and for reasons he can’t understand himself, Zane abandons his usual safe approach in favor of pursuit. But Zane’s not the only one who thinks Mark might be the perfect guy� With attraction, fear, and insecurity warring within Mark, will he have the strength to believe he deserves lasting love, or will his old ways come back to haunt him?
345 pages, ebook
First published March 9, 2012
9 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
S.E. Culpepper
4Ìýbooks246ÌýfollowersS. E. Culpepper currently splits time between writing and her full-time job. She wishes writing were the full-time job.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
May 8, 2023
Mark esta decido a reiniciar su vida y olvidarse de una vez por todas de Rafe, quiere volver a encontrarse, volver a ser el hombre divertido y encantador que era antes. Por eso decidio irse de vacaciones a Bora Bora durante una semana, queria disfrutar de su soledad en un lugar paradisiaco, quizas conseguir una noche de diversion, que sea solo eso, diversion. Pero su vida si va a dar un gran vuelco al conocer al actor de accion mas cotizado del momento, quien tambien es gay y esta muy muy interesado en el. Sera capaz de tener una relacion con alguien tan notorio? Sera la fama un problema para su relacion? Sera la distancia? Seran sus propias inseguridades o las de el? Lo cierto es que una relacion con alguien tan famoso puedo obligar a Mark a aceptar muchas cosas de si mismo que realmente no le gustan, y ciertamente dar los pasos adecuados para tener un mejor futuro.
Esperaba un poco mas de este libro, por el hecho de que Mark habia sido un secundario tan importante en el libro anterior, esperaba un poco de detalles sobre su personalidad, y no solo el hombre lleno de miedo y rencor contra todos y contra el mismo. Esperaba que Rafe y Jeremy lo apoyaran con su trabajo en la central de emergencias, esperaba mas apoyo de Zane y menos celos. O sea, esperaba personajes mas maduros y fuertes, pero lo que encontre fueron casi como dos adolescentes con su primer amor gay, con dudas, con celos, con rencor y hasta con odio hacia las pasadas parejas del otro. Ademas tampoco esperaba tantos capitulos de Christian que no senti que tuvieran ningun peso en la historia real.
En fin, esperaba mas de la historia, pero lo que lei fue un romance lleno de drama, con pequenos momentos dulces y eroticos que lo mantenia ligero y entretenido. Pero si, voy a continuar con la serie, quiero saber que va a pasar con Christian y Kevin, y si su romance va a tener un poco menos de drama y mas accion que este.
Esperaba un poco mas de este libro, por el hecho de que Mark habia sido un secundario tan importante en el libro anterior, esperaba un poco de detalles sobre su personalidad, y no solo el hombre lleno de miedo y rencor contra todos y contra el mismo. Esperaba que Rafe y Jeremy lo apoyaran con su trabajo en la central de emergencias, esperaba mas apoyo de Zane y menos celos. O sea, esperaba personajes mas maduros y fuertes, pero lo que encontre fueron casi como dos adolescentes con su primer amor gay, con dudas, con celos, con rencor y hasta con odio hacia las pasadas parejas del otro. Ademas tampoco esperaba tantos capitulos de Christian que no senti que tuvieran ningun peso en la historia real.
En fin, esperaba mas de la historia, pero lo que lei fue un romance lleno de drama, con pequenos momentos dulces y eroticos que lo mantenia ligero y entretenido. Pero si, voy a continuar con la serie, quiero saber que va a pasar con Christian y Kevin, y si su romance va a tener un poco menos de drama y mas accion que este.
March 11, 2012
During , the first book in this series, my heart goes out to Rafe's ex, Mark Newland. I think Rafe had been a jerk towards the guy, and I really want Mark to find his happiness. So, knowing that this story is ABOUT Mark, I immediately jump in to buy.
Spent 3.5 hours, finished the book in one sitting :).
I enjoy Ms. Culpepper the second time around and I think she has polished her story better. The story opens with a prologue, of lovelorn Mark, making a decision to change himself from that unlikeable guy, who clinged to man who didn't want him. At that point, I already want to hug him and wishing hard for his true love to come.
Then, we have Mark going to Bora-Bora, where on the first day, he meets Hollywood Hearthtrob, Zane Whitlow, and also catches the eye of Christian Blakely, a closeted case. Sparks and chemistry fly between Mark and Zane. But before they can cemented their relationship, Zane needs to go back to L.A. to settle on his latest movie. Meanwhile, Christian is also making his move ...
What I like from this one, is how Zane is an OUT actor in Hollywood. Often, stories with famous people have them as closeted, so they story will be about how they come out. Not here. Here, the story is about how Mark and Zane dodge the life of being the boyfriend of a famous actor. Soon as photos about Mark and Zane appear on magazine and Internet, Mark's life is turned into whirlwind of crazy, with paparazzi hounding his every move. Unfortunately, Zane cannot help because he must go and stay in England for shooting a new movie.
Then, there's Christian.
Seriously, I don't know what to make of Christian. I know that it seems he is being set up as the main character of the next book, but his presence of him in this book, just complicates matters. Mark doesn't help by being too stupid to realize that by not avoiding Christian, he simply sabotages his relationship with Zane. Just when he gets that chance to be with someone who adores him. Mark seems unable to believe his worthiness, too worry about Zane being a superstar and he's just an ordinary guy.
WHICH actually makes the whole story juicy and captivates me from the beginning to end.
Especially when Mark needs to make things right to Zane after one misleading photo of him and Christian appears on the Internet. It's one intense scene and Zane's painful emotion just rings through. It also leads to a quite hot sex. I must say, VERY WELL DONE, indeed!!
I love the secondary characters, in this case, Mark's colorful family. From his parents, to his two brothers. Each has their distinct characteristics, so different from one another. When they're together, it's loud, it's friendly, it's amusing. They give some sort of comic relief, especially when the whole family meet the Hollywood superstar (PS: My favorite brother is Reid!)
The epilogue is well, a dream comes true in Hollywood, and I just have this goofy smile on my face. I might even come back to this story, just to re-read some of the parts I like.
Now, I would like to see Christian being redeemed in book #3. I think that one will have the theme of "the one who got away", and well, I always adore that :)
PS: Rafe and Jeremy make an appearance too!!
Spent 3.5 hours, finished the book in one sitting :).
I enjoy Ms. Culpepper the second time around and I think she has polished her story better. The story opens with a prologue, of lovelorn Mark, making a decision to change himself from that unlikeable guy, who clinged to man who didn't want him. At that point, I already want to hug him and wishing hard for his true love to come.
Then, we have Mark going to Bora-Bora, where on the first day, he meets Hollywood Hearthtrob, Zane Whitlow, and also catches the eye of Christian Blakely, a closeted case. Sparks and chemistry fly between Mark and Zane. But before they can cemented their relationship, Zane needs to go back to L.A. to settle on his latest movie. Meanwhile, Christian is also making his move ...
What I like from this one, is how Zane is an OUT actor in Hollywood. Often, stories with famous people have them as closeted, so they story will be about how they come out. Not here. Here, the story is about how Mark and Zane dodge the life of being the boyfriend of a famous actor. Soon as photos about Mark and Zane appear on magazine and Internet, Mark's life is turned into whirlwind of crazy, with paparazzi hounding his every move. Unfortunately, Zane cannot help because he must go and stay in England for shooting a new movie.
Then, there's Christian.
Seriously, I don't know what to make of Christian. I know that it seems he is being set up as the main character of the next book, but his presence of him in this book, just complicates matters. Mark doesn't help by being too stupid to realize that by not avoiding Christian, he simply sabotages his relationship with Zane. Just when he gets that chance to be with someone who adores him. Mark seems unable to believe his worthiness, too worry about Zane being a superstar and he's just an ordinary guy.
WHICH actually makes the whole story juicy and captivates me from the beginning to end.
Especially when Mark needs to make things right to Zane after one misleading photo of him and Christian appears on the Internet. It's one intense scene and Zane's painful emotion just rings through. It also leads to a quite hot sex. I must say, VERY WELL DONE, indeed!!
I love the secondary characters, in this case, Mark's colorful family. From his parents, to his two brothers. Each has their distinct characteristics, so different from one another. When they're together, it's loud, it's friendly, it's amusing. They give some sort of comic relief, especially when the whole family meet the Hollywood superstar (PS: My favorite brother is Reid!)
The epilogue is well, a dream comes true in Hollywood, and I just have this goofy smile on my face. I might even come back to this story, just to re-read some of the parts I like.
Now, I would like to see Christian being redeemed in book #3. I think that one will have the theme of "the one who got away", and well, I always adore that :)
PS: Rafe and Jeremy make an appearance too!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2013
I really liked Mark's story! Lucky bastard would go from Rafe's fine ass right into the arms of Hollywood's hottest. I liked Mark. Rafe made alot of dick moves in Private Eye so I was so happy to see sweet Mark's hopeful romantic side get someone worthy to put his effort into, even though he was almost bitchy enough in Private Eye to put me off his character. Zane was great. Although I was mad at him for leaving our boy stateside for a dumb movie and having the audacity to not trust the distance that HE put in the relationship. This was a relationship story, not a mystery. But that's exactly how it should be. And the HEA made me giddy. Well done!
The secondary characters were great. Mark's family was awesome (I'm totally in lurve with Reid). And it was awesome getting little glimpses of Rafe and Jeremy. *Le sigh*
Can't wait for Christian and Kevin's story. Ms. Culpepper is definitely one of my favorites and I can't wait for more.
The secondary characters were great. Mark's family was awesome (I'm totally in lurve with Reid). And it was awesome getting little glimpses of Rafe and Jeremy. *Le sigh*
Can't wait for Christian and Kevin's story. Ms. Culpepper is definitely one of my favorites and I can't wait for more.
September 16, 2013
I'm not sure why I have such a difficult time reviewing this book because I really liked it.
Initially, I did have issues with Mark in and how different he was here but after re-reading PE I came to look at Mark with more balance and less the judge-y eye. I admire him for taking his life in hand and moving on from pursuing his old flame. He's trying to get back to being someone not bitter and angry but wanting to find in himself someone willing to be happy and often that's the hardest thing in the world to do.
Mark decides to head out on a vacation and he meets Zane, an actor, and sparks fly. He also meets Christian who starts aggressively pursuing him despite Mark's interest in Zane.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Mark and Zane and their story here. There are some sweet and funny moments here and Mark's family is wonderful. This is a bit of a fairytale with Mark finding his prince who I think he really deserves. It's also a bit of a bumpy road but worth the journey. I think to really appreciate this you need to read book one since we see a bit of character and story crossover. Great addition to the series.
One thing that I have to mention here. Christian calling and listening to Kevin's voicemail remains one of my top five book moments ever. I LOVE it.
Initially, I did have issues with Mark in and how different he was here but after re-reading PE I came to look at Mark with more balance and less the judge-y eye. I admire him for taking his life in hand and moving on from pursuing his old flame. He's trying to get back to being someone not bitter and angry but wanting to find in himself someone willing to be happy and often that's the hardest thing in the world to do.
Mark decides to head out on a vacation and he meets Zane, an actor, and sparks fly. He also meets Christian who starts aggressively pursuing him despite Mark's interest in Zane.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Mark and Zane and their story here. There are some sweet and funny moments here and Mark's family is wonderful. This is a bit of a fairytale with Mark finding his prince who I think he really deserves. It's also a bit of a bumpy road but worth the journey. I think to really appreciate this you need to read book one since we see a bit of character and story crossover. Great addition to the series.
One thing that I have to mention here. Christian calling and listening to Kevin's voicemail remains one of my top five book moments ever. I LOVE it.
October 7, 2012
In the first book in this series, Mark wasn't very likeable, but he also wasn't treated very well by Rafe. This story shows where some of his attitude came from and rehabilitates him. It presents Mark as a somewhat insecure but sympathetic character, who has been burned by pursuing unavailable men. As soon as he and Zane met, I was rooting for them, despite the speed with which they became fixated on each other. The challenges to a relationship that came from Zane's fame as an actor were a strong driver for the conflicts in the plot.
I liked the way the main crisis was handled.
The secondary characters, especially Mark's brothers, were well done. Choosing to present other POV's, particularly Christian's, took a little of the focus away from the main characters, but it made Christian less of a cardboard villain and it did give me an interest in his future story.
I liked the way the main crisis was handled.
The secondary characters, especially Mark's brothers, were well done. Choosing to present other POV's, particularly Christian's, took a little of the focus away from the main characters, but it made Christian less of a cardboard villain and it did give me an interest in his future story.
July 14, 2013
Loved this!!!
We all met, and probably hated, Mark in . But honestly, I really felt bad for him because Rafe really did him wrong. In Question Mark, Mark finally finds "the one" and gets his happy-ever-after.
Mark has decided to reinvent himself after he finally accepts that Rafe has moved on with Jeremy. And what better way to do that than by taking a well-deserved tropical vacation? On the shuttle to the island, Mark meets Zane Whitlow, action movie star extraordinaire who is out and proud, but also shy and unsure of himself when it comes to hitting on men. With encouragement from his friends, Zane immediately tries to pursue this connection he feels with Mark. Zane quickly realizes that Mark is also being pursued by the deeply closeted Christian. And Mark is just amazed that he's getting all this attention from two hot men, but his real attraction is to Zane. Christian is hot, but Zane is the one he really wants. Sounds complicated, but it’s really not. I always believed that Zane was the man for Mark, and that Christian would be the one getting in the way.
I was hesitant to read this one because I had heard several mixed opinions, but I actually loved it almost as much as I loved Private Eye. I really loved the characters, both Zane and Mark...and even Christian, although I still wanted to slap him most of the time. Zane was always straight up and honest with Mark and was never one to play games. And Mark...well he was still too hung up on some of his old issues to fully trust in a future with Zane, which is certainly understandable after the shit Rafe put him through. Unlike the first book, there was no mystery here. It’s all about Zane and Mark trying to start a relationship while being a long distance apart, battling the media, and Christian's interference.
Eh, this was mostly predictable, but I still loved it...maybe it’s the author's writing or just the realistic characters she creates. Probably both. Mark had such a great family, and I loved reading the slow blossoming romance between him and Zane. I was expecting them to immediately jump into bed together, but nope, this was slow burn for a loooooong time! Which is always my preference. Yes, Mark does screw up and betray Zane. And yes, the kiss was forced upon him by Christian, but Mark should have never put himself into that position in the first place. Luckily, Zane forgives him...and I believe that Mark was deserving of his forgiveness. And I believe in their happy-ever-after.
This book cannot be read as a stand alone. You really need to read Private Eye to fully understand what Mark has been through and the progress he has made. I'm happy that Rafe and Mark do come to some sort of accord at the end.
Now I'm dying to read Christian's book next!!
I highly recommend this series!
We all met, and probably hated, Mark in . But honestly, I really felt bad for him because Rafe really did him wrong. In Question Mark, Mark finally finds "the one" and gets his happy-ever-after.
Mark has decided to reinvent himself after he finally accepts that Rafe has moved on with Jeremy. And what better way to do that than by taking a well-deserved tropical vacation? On the shuttle to the island, Mark meets Zane Whitlow, action movie star extraordinaire who is out and proud, but also shy and unsure of himself when it comes to hitting on men. With encouragement from his friends, Zane immediately tries to pursue this connection he feels with Mark. Zane quickly realizes that Mark is also being pursued by the deeply closeted Christian. And Mark is just amazed that he's getting all this attention from two hot men, but his real attraction is to Zane. Christian is hot, but Zane is the one he really wants. Sounds complicated, but it’s really not. I always believed that Zane was the man for Mark, and that Christian would be the one getting in the way.
I was hesitant to read this one because I had heard several mixed opinions, but I actually loved it almost as much as I loved Private Eye. I really loved the characters, both Zane and Mark...and even Christian, although I still wanted to slap him most of the time. Zane was always straight up and honest with Mark and was never one to play games. And Mark...well he was still too hung up on some of his old issues to fully trust in a future with Zane, which is certainly understandable after the shit Rafe put him through. Unlike the first book, there was no mystery here. It’s all about Zane and Mark trying to start a relationship while being a long distance apart, battling the media, and Christian's interference.
Eh, this was mostly predictable, but I still loved it...maybe it’s the author's writing or just the realistic characters she creates. Probably both. Mark had such a great family, and I loved reading the slow blossoming romance between him and Zane. I was expecting them to immediately jump into bed together, but nope, this was slow burn for a loooooong time! Which is always my preference. Yes, Mark does screw up and betray Zane. And yes, the kiss was forced upon him by Christian, but Mark should have never put himself into that position in the first place. Luckily, Zane forgives him...and I believe that Mark was deserving of his forgiveness. And I believe in their happy-ever-after.
This book cannot be read as a stand alone. You really need to read Private Eye to fully understand what Mark has been through and the progress he has made. I'm happy that Rafe and Mark do come to some sort of accord at the end.
Now I'm dying to read Christian's book next!!
I highly recommend this series!
May 22, 2012
*scream* I just turned the last page, it’s over how can that be I’m sooo not ready for that!
I guess it’s obvious I loved this book! I hated Mark in the first book, couldn’t find anything to like about him but I knew he would be redeemed in this one so I went into it with an open mind and it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with him too. I thought Mark and Zane had great chemistry and their personalities just fit, both gun shy about entering a relationship, but both wanting one.
This was a romance, no mystery and very little angst although it did make me cry, a great second book and I patiently wait for the next one.
I guess it’s obvious I loved this book! I hated Mark in the first book, couldn’t find anything to like about him but I knew he would be redeemed in this one so I went into it with an open mind and it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with him too. I thought Mark and Zane had great chemistry and their personalities just fit, both gun shy about entering a relationship, but both wanting one.
This was a romance, no mystery and very little angst although it did make me cry, a great second book and I patiently wait for the next one.
March 24, 2013
I loved this even more than the 1st. I disliked Mark in book 1 and absolutely loved him here which had me hesitant at 1st when I started reading this. But, WOW my mind was changed quick and I loved every minute of what him and Zane went through. And Now I find myself pissed at Christian through this book and find out book 3 is on him. So I'll be leaving my mind open to learning more of his story. Was happy to hear more of Rafe and Jeremy as I loved them in book 1 so much. S.E. Culpepper has a HUGE new fan in me.
March 15, 2012
Good but uneven m/m romance about Mark from the previous book, who finally realizes that he needs to get over his ex and decides that a trip to Bora Bora is just what he needs. While I was rooting for Mark and his guy, parts of their interactions just didn't make sense.
January 26, 2013
This is Marks story, the 'annoying' ex from the first book ( Private Eye ) in the liasons series, another good read. Books can be read as a stand alone but I really like to carry on a series if the first book is good and this series is turning out to be enjoyable.
Mark goes on a vacation to Bora Bora , licking his wounds, to try and get over Rafes rejection,the lead character in Private Eye (to be honest even though he came over as clingy, I did feel a bit sorry for him in the first book so was really glad he'd got his own story). Whilst there he meets Zane a famous , very successful film actor who is publicly out as gay. Both of them have issues about relationships, Mark because he feels he can't cope with another rejection and who is always questioning himself about what, why and how he can't keep a boyfriend and Zane, who although appearing very confident in public is actually down to earth and quite shy. He is sick of only being wanted because he is famous and really wants a man to love him not the star! The attraction is immediate for both of them but Zanes film commitments, the paparrazzi, long distance relationships and of course misunderstandings caused by both their insecurities make the path to true love a rocky ride. There where times when I rolled my eyes at both of them for being stupid but it didn't spoil any enjoyment of the story at all.
There are some lovely supporting characters, mainly within Marks family who help to give the story lightness and humour and we are introduced to closeted gay Christian ,a tattooed hottie who unfortunately causes a major problem between Mark and Zane and who's story is most definitely the lead into book three 'looking forward to that one a lot!
This was a great love story , we are made to wait for the sex ( don't worry the ST is there big time!) but that suits the story and is all the more sensual, tender and real when it finally happens and I was so pleased that they both get their happy ever after. The ending was very satisfying.
Mark goes on a vacation to Bora Bora , licking his wounds, to try and get over Rafes rejection,the lead character in Private Eye (to be honest even though he came over as clingy, I did feel a bit sorry for him in the first book so was really glad he'd got his own story). Whilst there he meets Zane a famous , very successful film actor who is publicly out as gay. Both of them have issues about relationships, Mark because he feels he can't cope with another rejection and who is always questioning himself about what, why and how he can't keep a boyfriend and Zane, who although appearing very confident in public is actually down to earth and quite shy. He is sick of only being wanted because he is famous and really wants a man to love him not the star! The attraction is immediate for both of them but Zanes film commitments, the paparrazzi, long distance relationships and of course misunderstandings caused by both their insecurities make the path to true love a rocky ride. There where times when I rolled my eyes at both of them for being stupid but it didn't spoil any enjoyment of the story at all.
There are some lovely supporting characters, mainly within Marks family who help to give the story lightness and humour and we are introduced to closeted gay Christian ,a tattooed hottie who unfortunately causes a major problem between Mark and Zane and who's story is most definitely the lead into book three 'looking forward to that one a lot!
This was a great love story , we are made to wait for the sex ( don't worry the ST is there big time!) but that suits the story and is all the more sensual, tender and real when it finally happens and I was so pleased that they both get their happy ever after. The ending was very satisfying.
April 2, 2012
3.5 stars
I loved the first book in this series, and usually when that happens I'm afraid to read the second. Again, my fear was justified.
Like most reviewers, I didn't like Mark at all in . I went into this book with an open mind, though, prepared for him to be redeemed. And in the first part of the book he totally was! If the book had ended just as Zane left the island, it would have received an unqualified 5 stars. Both of the mc's were likable and relate-able and FUNNY. And even if their interest in each other wasn't thoroughly explained, at least it was fun to read about.
Being in Zane's head while he's on the island cracked me up over and over. All of the references to his inner nerd and how awkward he gets around men he's interested in made me just totally fall in love with him.
But then they leave the island and it's like they're totally different people. It's not nearly as fun to be in Zane's head, and Mark turns back into someone I don't really like very much. The middle of the book slowed down enough that I found myself with lots of free time to wonder why they were even still trying to have a relationship at all.
So, because I adored the beginning so much, 3.5 stars even though the rest of the book wasn't as good as I'd hoped. And I am definitely looking forward to Christian and Kevin's book!
I loved the first book in this series, and usually when that happens I'm afraid to read the second. Again, my fear was justified.
Like most reviewers, I didn't like Mark at all in . I went into this book with an open mind, though, prepared for him to be redeemed. And in the first part of the book he totally was! If the book had ended just as Zane left the island, it would have received an unqualified 5 stars. Both of the mc's were likable and relate-able and FUNNY. And even if their interest in each other wasn't thoroughly explained, at least it was fun to read about.
Being in Zane's head while he's on the island cracked me up over and over. All of the references to his inner nerd and how awkward he gets around men he's interested in made me just totally fall in love with him.
But then they leave the island and it's like they're totally different people. It's not nearly as fun to be in Zane's head, and Mark turns back into someone I don't really like very much. The middle of the book slowed down enough that I found myself with lots of free time to wonder why they were even still trying to have a relationship at all.
So, because I adored the beginning so much, 3.5 stars even though the rest of the book wasn't as good as I'd hoped. And I am definitely looking forward to Christian and Kevin's book!
March 16, 2012
Well S.E. Culpepper has done it again. She has made it to the top of my must read author's list.
I really loved Private Eye and at that time didn't care for Mark Newland, in fact I really despised the guy. Okay, I have changed my mind completely. It was wonderful to see the changes in Mark and to take the time to understand the place Mark was in during Private Eye, we have all been there - argh. Mark and Zane are great together and their chemistry sizzles. I have to admit the miles between them added just a little tension to my gut as I kept reading.
The other characters in the book were amazing as well. Marks family is awesome, I especially enjoyed Reid, and getting a glimpse into Rafe and Jeremy's life together was a pleasant surprise.
Keep them coming Ms Culpepper I am impatiently waiting for the next book to see what unfolds with Christian and Kevin. I wouldn't turn away from more of Rafe, Jemery, Mark and Zane either.
I really loved Private Eye and at that time didn't care for Mark Newland, in fact I really despised the guy. Okay, I have changed my mind completely. It was wonderful to see the changes in Mark and to take the time to understand the place Mark was in during Private Eye, we have all been there - argh. Mark and Zane are great together and their chemistry sizzles. I have to admit the miles between them added just a little tension to my gut as I kept reading.
The other characters in the book were amazing as well. Marks family is awesome, I especially enjoyed Reid, and getting a glimpse into Rafe and Jeremy's life together was a pleasant surprise.
Keep them coming Ms Culpepper I am impatiently waiting for the next book to see what unfolds with Christian and Kevin. I wouldn't turn away from more of Rafe, Jemery, Mark and Zane either.
January 27, 2013
I enjoyed the first story in this series and re-read it right before reading this one so that I would remember the characters and exactly what happened. Unfortunately this one did not work for me. It sorta dragged for me and I found myself skipping a lot to just get through it.
June 6, 2016
4 stars
What I loved in this book:
-Mark's portrayal was realistic and very fitting of an average guy who falls in love with a celebrity. Even his actions with Christian, though I did not approve of them, made sense and agreed with his character.
-Zane did manage to come out both as a regular, sweet guy and a celebrity without making one of the two images seem phony.
-Those two were good together and I could believe in their HEA, as they seemed honest with one another and willing to work for what they had, even when the going got tough.
What I didn't like in this book:
-I couldn't feel Zane's falling in love. To me, it came off as Zane deciding he wants a serious relationship, and Mark's the first guy he meets just after making that decision. Sure, he wanted Mark, but love... I didn't feel it. It was more like "I HAVE to make this work' rather than 'I can't live without him'. I could see why Mark fell in love with Zane though, so maybe more time inside Zane's head was needed?
-Lots of time spending in Christian's POV. I can see that the author is building the basis for the next book (which I'm going to buy asap), but it took time from Zane and Mark, time they needed to make their falling love, rather than in lust, more apparent to the reader.
-Rafe. The more I read of him, the more I hate him. A guy who makes fun of his ex when he sees him dating someone else, who doesn't have one kind word to say for the man he lived with for more than a year -when Mark's never hurt him in any way- is a jerk and an asshole. I feel sorry for Jeremy. But at least Rafe's appeared for 4-5 pages all in all even if he left quite an impression :(
All in all, an enjoyable book which I couldn't put down most of the time, very realistic of how it is to fall in love with a mega-star IMHO, but failed to pass the message that those two were each other's greatest love.
Straight on to Christian's book, who seems the most interesting character in the series so far!!!
What I loved in this book:
-Mark's portrayal was realistic and very fitting of an average guy who falls in love with a celebrity. Even his actions with Christian, though I did not approve of them, made sense and agreed with his character.
-Zane did manage to come out both as a regular, sweet guy and a celebrity without making one of the two images seem phony.
-Those two were good together and I could believe in their HEA, as they seemed honest with one another and willing to work for what they had, even when the going got tough.
What I didn't like in this book:
-I couldn't feel Zane's falling in love. To me, it came off as Zane deciding he wants a serious relationship, and Mark's the first guy he meets just after making that decision. Sure, he wanted Mark, but love... I didn't feel it. It was more like "I HAVE to make this work' rather than 'I can't live without him'. I could see why Mark fell in love with Zane though, so maybe more time inside Zane's head was needed?
-Lots of time spending in Christian's POV. I can see that the author is building the basis for the next book (which I'm going to buy asap), but it took time from Zane and Mark, time they needed to make their falling love, rather than in lust, more apparent to the reader.
-Rafe. The more I read of him, the more I hate him. A guy who makes fun of his ex when he sees him dating someone else, who doesn't have one kind word to say for the man he lived with for more than a year -when Mark's never hurt him in any way- is a jerk and an asshole. I feel sorry for Jeremy. But at least Rafe's appeared for 4-5 pages all in all even if he left quite an impression :(
All in all, an enjoyable book which I couldn't put down most of the time, very realistic of how it is to fall in love with a mega-star IMHO, but failed to pass the message that those two were each other's greatest love.
Straight on to Christian's book, who seems the most interesting character in the series so far!!!
June 15, 2012
I'm not really sure how to rate this.
The reintroduction to Mark was an eye opener. I didn't expect I would instantly like him, in my mind he had some redeeming to do before I let him into my good graces, after his shenanigans in book 1. But when we meet him this time around, we meet this heartbroken, kind of pathetic guy, that's ready to make a big change for the better, and he does. And he keeps this up for a good while through the book, before his personality turned, in lack of a better description, confusing. At times I really didn't understand why the guy did the things he did.
Then there's the "side plot" with Christian and his struggles, we even get a fair bit of page time from his POV, and it takes some of the focus away from our main couple. This book wasn't, in my opinion, big enough to spend so much time with Christian.
To top it all of I'm not a big fan of insta-love, purple endings, or stupid misunderstandings.
On the completely different hand, there's also things I really liked about this story.
One of my favorite "kinks" is the superstar falling for the regular person. Just the possibility of this happening makes all my teenage/tweenage fantasies seem a little more reachable, and it makes the 13 year old in me really happy ^.^
And Zane, our heartthrob action hero, is solid, down to earth, and genuinely sweet.
Mark's family is also a comical relief, specially Reid, Mark's brother, made this book fun every time he appeared on page. I wouldn't mind reading his HEA with his promised actress ;)
The reintroduction to Mark was an eye opener. I didn't expect I would instantly like him, in my mind he had some redeeming to do before I let him into my good graces, after his shenanigans in book 1. But when we meet him this time around, we meet this heartbroken, kind of pathetic guy, that's ready to make a big change for the better, and he does. And he keeps this up for a good while through the book, before his personality turned, in lack of a better description, confusing. At times I really didn't understand why the guy did the things he did.
Then there's the "side plot" with Christian and his struggles, we even get a fair bit of page time from his POV, and it takes some of the focus away from our main couple. This book wasn't, in my opinion, big enough to spend so much time with Christian.
To top it all of I'm not a big fan of insta-love, purple endings, or stupid misunderstandings.
On the completely different hand, there's also things I really liked about this story.
One of my favorite "kinks" is the superstar falling for the regular person. Just the possibility of this happening makes all my teenage/tweenage fantasies seem a little more reachable, and it makes the 13 year old in me really happy ^.^
And Zane, our heartthrob action hero, is solid, down to earth, and genuinely sweet.
Mark's family is also a comical relief, specially Reid, Mark's brother, made this book fun every time he appeared on page. I wouldn't mind reading his HEA with his promised actress ;)
November 19, 2013
4.5 Stars
Holy bejeezus but I liked this book. I was skeptical at first because Mark was a bit of a prick in Book 1. Happily, after some much needed self-reflection, Mark realized the error of his ways and designed to set himself straight. (Well, not straight, straight but straight ... Ack! You know what I mean.) Zane is a drop-dead gorgeous Hollywood movie star. He's also gay and eligible. The two meet in Bora Bora but Zane's work cuts their vacation short. While Zane is away filming, the two try to keep their fledgling relationship afloat but ... sadly, Mark is a freakin' IDIOT. Ugh! Despite their not-so-minor set back, Mark and Zane valiantly fight for their HEA.
S.E. Culpepper has a new fan! I adore this series. Mark and Zane had me at Bora Bora. I loved them as a couple. I especially liked Zane's character, which is unusual because I'm not usually fond of mega-stardom. Mark's foolishness was like watching a train wreck in slow mo. I was appalled but couldn't stop reading. I wanted to throttle him, revive him, and throttle him again. Fortunately, Mark eventually redeemed himself enough that I could allow him to live.
Bottom-line: my fave in the series to date.
Holy bejeezus but I liked this book. I was skeptical at first because Mark was a bit of a prick in Book 1. Happily, after some much needed self-reflection, Mark realized the error of his ways and designed to set himself straight. (Well, not straight, straight but straight ... Ack! You know what I mean.) Zane is a drop-dead gorgeous Hollywood movie star. He's also gay and eligible. The two meet in Bora Bora but Zane's work cuts their vacation short. While Zane is away filming, the two try to keep their fledgling relationship afloat but ... sadly, Mark is a freakin' IDIOT. Ugh! Despite their not-so-minor set back, Mark and Zane valiantly fight for their HEA.
S.E. Culpepper has a new fan! I adore this series. Mark and Zane had me at Bora Bora. I loved them as a couple. I especially liked Zane's character, which is unusual because I'm not usually fond of mega-stardom. Mark's foolishness was like watching a train wreck in slow mo. I was appalled but couldn't stop reading. I wanted to throttle him, revive him, and throttle him again. Fortunately, Mark eventually redeemed himself enough that I could allow him to live.
Bottom-line: my fave in the series to date.
March 12, 2012
I am such a happy camper right now :D I thought it was going to be difficult to love Mark and Zane as much as I love Rafe and Jeremy, but somehow Culpepper manages to do it. The chemistry is so stong!
This is story of learning about yourself and how to love and be loved. There are no mysterious subplots, just pure and simple story of finding love. I was immediatley pulled into empathizing with Mark (even though he killed me in book one) and the story flowed so smoothly from there. I usually have a difficult time when there is geographical distance in the story, but everything worked. The secondary characters were great and I just had a great time sitting back and reading this story. I am completely anxious for book three!
This is story of learning about yourself and how to love and be loved. There are no mysterious subplots, just pure and simple story of finding love. I was immediatley pulled into empathizing with Mark (even though he killed me in book one) and the story flowed so smoothly from there. I usually have a difficult time when there is geographical distance in the story, but everything worked. The secondary characters were great and I just had a great time sitting back and reading this story. I am completely anxious for book three!
March 12, 2013
Even though the big problem felt like junior high drama to me, the changes the characters undergo, and the changes they chose to make by the ending, made me end up liking this story. Mark really matures, and takes responsibility for his actions in the first book of this series, and I was glad that the author allowed him to become such a strong character.
May 10, 2014
I liked the Zane and Mark part of this one, but felt like too much time was spent on Christian and setting up the next book. I also felt like they, especially Zane, fell way too hard and fast from too few meetings. I had a hard time reconciling how shy and awkward Zane was at the beginning with how take charge he was the rest of the book.
May 5, 2013
4-4.5 stars
I reallly liked it, drama but not too much, a wonderful love story and nice secondary characters. I just think that Christian got too much space in this story. Nevertheless, now I'm off to reading his story:)
I reallly liked it, drama but not too much, a wonderful love story and nice secondary characters. I just think that Christian got too much space in this story. Nevertheless, now I'm off to reading his story:)
April 23, 2019
3.5/5
The actual story between Mark and Zane is good, however I do find the side plot a little bit overbearing at time.
The actual story between Mark and Zane is good, however I do find the side plot a little bit overbearing at time.
May 15, 2012
Simply put, I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! When Culpepper can turn around a character that quite frankly I didn't even like in book one to someone I ended up loving, she did her job and did it well. She's also cemented a place on my short auto buy list.
I wasn't so sure Mark could be redeemed in my eyes and certainly did not expect to fall in love with him in Question Mark. While I saw a side to him I didn't like in PI I can also say I was shown why Mark was the way he was. I got a little ticked off at Rafe for treating him the way he did and making him feel unworthy of love, along with his other failed relationships. To question why you can't seem to find that one special person, why you're constantly getting dumped, can be devastating to someone and make them question what is broken that others can't love them and are always leaving them. That was Mark and it broke my heart.
It was heartbreaking to me to see how much he wanted to have someone he could love in his life and someone that could return those feelings. To see him struggle to understand why he couldn't get past those type of relationships and just what he needed to change to open himself up to being loved and giving love was wonderful to watch. It wasn't a smooth road, he was actually his worst enemy, but he found the perfect person in Zane who pushed him to see that anything worth having is worth fighting for. And boy did Mark fight for Zane when honestly, as far as Zane knew, he had every right to dump his ass too. I'm glad he didn't though. To see Zane's anger and hurt was amazing, to also see, eventually, his forgiveness, was what made their love shine so much brighter. And the ending....I loved seeing where their HEA went.
Let's not forget all the secondary characters. Mark's brothers were awesome! I love the relationship they had. Sean and Reid were so cute with Mark. The wisecracks and especially the walk in scene with Sean was hilarious! Loved the dialog between the whole family.
Still would have liked more lovin in the book, more detailed, longer sex scenes and no fade to black, but damn this book has so much heart!
As for Christian, couldn't stand him. Talk about selfish, self-serving jerk, that's Christian.
If find it hard to find really good authors of m/m so when I do I stick to them like glue. If you haven't read S.E. Culpepper I highly recommend her.
I wasn't so sure Mark could be redeemed in my eyes and certainly did not expect to fall in love with him in Question Mark. While I saw a side to him I didn't like in PI I can also say I was shown why Mark was the way he was. I got a little ticked off at Rafe for treating him the way he did and making him feel unworthy of love, along with his other failed relationships. To question why you can't seem to find that one special person, why you're constantly getting dumped, can be devastating to someone and make them question what is broken that others can't love them and are always leaving them. That was Mark and it broke my heart.
It was heartbreaking to me to see how much he wanted to have someone he could love in his life and someone that could return those feelings. To see him struggle to understand why he couldn't get past those type of relationships and just what he needed to change to open himself up to being loved and giving love was wonderful to watch. It wasn't a smooth road, he was actually his worst enemy, but he found the perfect person in Zane who pushed him to see that anything worth having is worth fighting for. And boy did Mark fight for Zane when honestly, as far as Zane knew, he had every right to dump his ass too. I'm glad he didn't though. To see Zane's anger and hurt was amazing, to also see, eventually, his forgiveness, was what made their love shine so much brighter. And the ending....I loved seeing where their HEA went.
Let's not forget all the secondary characters. Mark's brothers were awesome! I love the relationship they had. Sean and Reid were so cute with Mark. The wisecracks and especially the walk in scene with Sean was hilarious! Loved the dialog between the whole family.
Still would have liked more lovin in the book, more detailed, longer sex scenes and no fade to black, but damn this book has so much heart!
As for Christian, couldn't stand him. Talk about selfish, self-serving jerk, that's Christian.
If find it hard to find really good authors of m/m so when I do I stick to them like glue. If you haven't read S.E. Culpepper I highly recommend her.
March 12, 2012
Oh wow.
When I first read the first book in this series and then heard from S.E. that she was writing a book about Mark, I think I went something like "I'm not sure I'd want to even read a book about him..." I just strongly disliked Mark in the first book, which kind of shows how the author chooses to stay true to her POVs; the reader sees things like the MCs see them, instead of knowing things about the other characters the MC doesn't know.
Let's just say I'm glad I picked this up. SO glad.
I think this is a perfect spring read. It's not too heavy, it funny, even hilarious at times, and yet there's enough drama to keep it very interesting throughout.
The only complaint? I want more of Christian and Kevin. Like...yesterday!
When I first read the first book in this series and then heard from S.E. that she was writing a book about Mark, I think I went something like "I'm not sure I'd want to even read a book about him..." I just strongly disliked Mark in the first book, which kind of shows how the author chooses to stay true to her POVs; the reader sees things like the MCs see them, instead of knowing things about the other characters the MC doesn't know.
Let's just say I'm glad I picked this up. SO glad.
I think this is a perfect spring read. It's not too heavy, it funny, even hilarious at times, and yet there's enough drama to keep it very interesting throughout.
The only complaint? I want more of Christian and Kevin. Like...yesterday!
April 3, 2012
This author has become one of my favorite authors.
Her dialogue is both charming and funny, I can not tell you how many times that I laughed out loud while reading this book. What I like about this series is that it is not just the same story over and over, but the characters have different backgrounds and personalities.
What I like specifically about this book is how the drama unfolds. I love the idea of this shy but famous, Zane trying to get to know Mark. I was a little concerned when I began the book, because Mark seemed a bit needy and assholian in the first book.
But in this book, we get to understand a bit more of their background and we come to understand him. I adore Zane and really could understand why Mark fell in love with him.
This is a must buy read.
Her dialogue is both charming and funny, I can not tell you how many times that I laughed out loud while reading this book. What I like about this series is that it is not just the same story over and over, but the characters have different backgrounds and personalities.
What I like specifically about this book is how the drama unfolds. I love the idea of this shy but famous, Zane trying to get to know Mark. I was a little concerned when I began the book, because Mark seemed a bit needy and assholian in the first book.
But in this book, we get to understand a bit more of their background and we come to understand him. I adore Zane and really could understand why Mark fell in love with him.
This is a must buy read.
March 25, 2012
Perfect timing to read this story. I enjoyed it to bits even the stupidity induced drama. Zane and Mark were too freaking adorable together, the rest of the characters were pretty damn cool and Christan and Kevin have me vibrating with anticipation. It was all good!
May 21, 2012
I read this not knowing it was book two of a series so I was a bit confused at first.
I was entranced by Mark, I enjoyed his no bullshit demeanor and I loved his family.
Zane was complicated and a bit contradictory but I still enjoyed him.
Now for book one, LMAO!
I was entranced by Mark, I enjoyed his no bullshit demeanor and I loved his family.
Zane was complicated and a bit contradictory but I still enjoyed him.
Now for book one, LMAO!
Want to read
May 1, 2013This cover model gets AROUND!!
November 9, 2018
4.5 Stars
I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would after reading the first book. I really didn't like Mark in the first book at all and it was a case of, could he be redeemed. I felt the same way going into this re-read. It's been so long since I read this series I wasn't sure how I was going to feel. While I still don't like it as much as the first book, it's nitpicky things that knock it down a little. For the most part it is a great book.
For one thing the depiction of Zane as an actor doesn't drive me batshit crazy. Most of the depictions there were actually pretty decent and fairly accurate to how the film world works. Sure dragging him back from Bora Bora on a pretense meeting like that is fairly unlikely given how high his celebrity status was at that point, but meh I'll forgive a bit of artistic license on that one. Otherwise it didn't trip up my actor/filmmaker heart. I actually really liked Zane. He's a sweetheart and very dedicated to his career and to still maintaining being a real human being.
Mark...ok so Mark is redeemed is in this one, and I liked him well enough, I still never loved him. There's something about his personality that bothers me. I don't like how he doesn't fully trust himself to Zane and keeps Christian dangling. He's not always a great human being. So I appreciated how he grew in the story, but I never quite got to the oh I adore him point.
Still this was a sweet story and by the end I felt like Mark deserved his relationship with Zane. I look forward to re-reading Christian's story as I don't remember it either and I want his redemption to happen as well.
I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would after reading the first book. I really didn't like Mark in the first book at all and it was a case of, could he be redeemed. I felt the same way going into this re-read. It's been so long since I read this series I wasn't sure how I was going to feel. While I still don't like it as much as the first book, it's nitpicky things that knock it down a little. For the most part it is a great book.
For one thing the depiction of Zane as an actor doesn't drive me batshit crazy. Most of the depictions there were actually pretty decent and fairly accurate to how the film world works. Sure dragging him back from Bora Bora on a pretense meeting like that is fairly unlikely given how high his celebrity status was at that point, but meh I'll forgive a bit of artistic license on that one. Otherwise it didn't trip up my actor/filmmaker heart. I actually really liked Zane. He's a sweetheart and very dedicated to his career and to still maintaining being a real human being.
Mark...ok so Mark is redeemed is in this one, and I liked him well enough, I still never loved him. There's something about his personality that bothers me. I don't like how he doesn't fully trust himself to Zane and keeps Christian dangling. He's not always a great human being. So I appreciated how he grew in the story, but I never quite got to the oh I adore him point.
Still this was a sweet story and by the end I felt like Mark deserved his relationship with Zane. I look forward to re-reading Christian's story as I don't remember it either and I want his redemption to happen as well.
August 11, 2021
3.4 stars. What even was this book? I didn't not enjoy it, it was a good read, but there were some really... interesting choices made by the author in the storytelling that just beggared belief. So basically it's about a normal guy and a famous actor that meet on holiday, spend almost no time together but decide to embark on a really difficult long-distance, serious relationship. As an author you are essentially omnipotent, this could definitely have been handled in a more realistic way, but people in Culpepper's world must have lots of feelings because honestly it goes from 0 to 100 in no time at all. Underneath all of that, it ends up being a really sweet romance actually. And the (very) few sexy scenes there were had really good chemistry. I like this author, but my cynical heart is finding the insta-love a bit difficult to swallow.
April 3, 2012
I will start off with how much I normally totally HATE Hollywood type books. Any type of book really where one of the main characters is famous whether it be an actor, rock star, etc. I've read a few that worked but not many because they are all pretty predictable. I will also say that I was definitely not a fan of Mark in the first book of this series.
With that being said, I will say that I really, really did like this book. Mark still came across as he did in the last book but not as much. I really like how his character grew throughout this one. I liked Zane right off. Their first meeting was perfect. Christian did not do it for me. He came across as very manipulative and he didn't seem to care who was hurt by his actions. As much as I look forward to reading his and Kevin's book, I will go into it trying not to remember how much I disliked his character in this one. Otherwise my opinion of the entire story will be clouded.
As much as I liked Zane in the beginning, there was a double standard. He was the cause (whether directly or indirectly) of most of the issues, he (at times) came across as a whiny child. Granted, he didn't ask for what happened to cause the major blow up between him and Mark, but he didn't exactly allow Mark to try to explain things either. Mark was definitely guilty... though only in part. There was an explanation but it got lost somewhere between a camera lens and Zane.... something that Zane (of all people) should understand.
It takes a bit for things to finally get worked out but they do. I loved Mark's family and Zane's mom. I fell in love with Rafe in Private Eye (even if he was supposed to be coming across as a jerk) so it was good to see him a couple of times in this book.
Overall, a really sweet love story. I was happy to see Mark finally get his happy ending after being hurt so bad before. I really liked the Epilogue. I look forward to seeing where the author goes from here.
With that being said, I will say that I really, really did like this book. Mark still came across as he did in the last book but not as much. I really like how his character grew throughout this one. I liked Zane right off. Their first meeting was perfect. Christian did not do it for me. He came across as very manipulative and he didn't seem to care who was hurt by his actions. As much as I look forward to reading his and Kevin's book, I will go into it trying not to remember how much I disliked his character in this one. Otherwise my opinion of the entire story will be clouded.
As much as I liked Zane in the beginning, there was a double standard. He was the cause (whether directly or indirectly) of most of the issues, he (at times) came across as a whiny child. Granted, he didn't ask for what happened to cause the major blow up between him and Mark, but he didn't exactly allow Mark to try to explain things either. Mark was definitely guilty... though only in part. There was an explanation but it got lost somewhere between a camera lens and Zane.... something that Zane (of all people) should understand.
It takes a bit for things to finally get worked out but they do. I loved Mark's family and Zane's mom. I fell in love with Rafe in Private Eye (even if he was supposed to be coming across as a jerk) so it was good to see him a couple of times in this book.
Overall, a really sweet love story. I was happy to see Mark finally get his happy ending after being hurt so bad before. I really liked the Epilogue. I look forward to seeing where the author goes from here.
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