Abandoned by his partner in the wilds of Alaska, Peter is pretty much at the end of his rope. He has a cabin falling down around his ears, two young babies to care for, and too much alone time to think about his situation. It's enough to make a man rethink wanting to be a dad.
Park Ranger Chad thinks Peter could use some help, especially when fire and weather warnings make him wonder if Peter's little cabin is going to make it through the year. When he takes Peter and the babies in, he finds out that the attraction the two of them felt on their first meeting has the potential to be a lot more. Can he convince Peter that they can do more than keep each other warm?
Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
I've decided Sean Michael writes one character and drops him in various settings.
This prototype is always good, kind, but a little lonely. He always speaks in one word sentences.
This time the prototype becomes Chad, a ranger, and Peter, a writer and single dad of twin infants, who decides it's a good idea to move to Bumfucknowhere, Alaska.
Actual dialogue sample:
Love.
Yes. Yes, love.
Now. Want. Love.
Fuck, yes. Please.
Love. Love. In. Love.
Hot. Peter.
Yeah.
Love!
Here, there's the occasional reference to the babies as "stinky beasts," but that's about it.
This book was a surprise. Sadly, not a pleasant one. I don’t really know where to begin, but I suppose I should start with the biggie�.the excessive sweetness. It was extremely sappy, dripping with sugar, and a saccharine-coma guarantee.
Too much. There is definitely a limit when it comes to ooey-gooey and the proportions were heavily skewed with the sugar factor. A sweet tale can easily sweep me away, if a story exists within the fluff. I can confidently tell you I did not walk away with any ‘story� here. A little bit of angst helps balance a super sweet story. Unfortunately, not a drop was present.
The dialogue. Whoa. What happened here? I was extremely frustrated with their conversations. It felt like cavemen grunting single words at each other. I’ve never encountered such a flood of random single words, that frankly did not make a bit of sense.
Surplus of endearments. I have a few friends that cringe with endearments. I’ve never understood that before� ‘baby� and ‘darling� always make my knees weak. But holy shit! Before the half-way mark I was seeing red every time ‘love� or ‘lover� popped up. I couldn’t take it. Perfect example of the little bit goes a long way advise.
Insufficient editing. Despite the abundance of sugar, there is no way to sugarcoat the lack of editing. Awkward sentences, strange pronouns, and careless words that were obvious mistakes littered the pages. I’ll be honest, I immediately went to check the publisher after I finished. Years ago I never noticed or paid much attention to the publisher. However, these days I’ve come to rely on a certain quality from certain publishers and I was shocked when I confirmed which press re-released this story.
Da-da sex. Negating the fact that I was not a fan of the sexy times, I cringed when it overlapped with family time. I enjoy romance involving children but I don’t like ‘prick� fondling under the table when they are feeding the babies. Sex is prevalent and they get it on often, which was completely impracticable with two infants. Blended families? Yes. Blending smut and kids? No thank you.
As the blurb states, Peter is a single father with twin babies. He is looking for a quiet country life for his family and relocates from the city to the wilderness in Alaska. When the local park ranger stops by the cabin he is renting, they share a look, and fall in love. Yep. A few minutes, a few of glances, and BOOM they are cohabiting and merging to become a family. The instalove soars to the top of all of the instalove romances I’ve read. Not necessarily a good thing.
I could probably continue to go on, but as you can see, nothing really worked for me here. I thought it sounded fantastic but it fantastically failed everything I hoped for.
This book is so syrupy sweet, it gave me cavities.
I don't mind sweet stories, but this one was too much to take. 100+ pages of two purrrfect gay guys cooing over two über adorable twin babies, having mind-blowing sex (after the babies were properly fed and asleep, of course) and professing their undying love for each other every frickin' minute? Sorry, that didn't work for me. There was not a single conflict in the story - in fact, I can't say there was even a plot to begin with - and the whole book read like an overly extended epilogue, except for the fact that Peter and Chad meet in the 1st chapter.
Ah, but you want to know about the sex scenes, right? Well, they were frequent and graphic - this is an erotica/romantica book, after all - but there was nothing new in there. Vanilla m/m from beginning to end. Disappointing.
It is all about feeding the baby's and having sex, then they go and feed the baby's and they have sex, well look at that it is about time to feed the baby's and guess what they have sex again.
Boring book with no character development, to sweet and to much baby talk.
I know better...and I did it anyway..it is my own fault. If you feel like needing to go to the dentist to get each of your teeth filled, this is the book for you.
I have read this book at least ten times and EVERY FREAKING TIME it melts my sugar greedy heart. Every time. I am a sucker for books with kids in them as most people know but that doesn't mean I love all books with kids. This book, however, hits all of my happy happy joy joy buttons.
No conflict!!! This is very simply a book about a single dad who wants to raise his babies somewhere great and meets the love of his life in the process. No explosions, no inner struggles, no evil family members, no guns, no...well I think you get it. Nothing but love, baby!
Peter spent his life savings to pay a surrogate mother and he ends up with twins. Deciding he wants to raise them in the country he moves and as a result meets Chad who's the sweet, hot park ranger. Insta-love? Yeah, we have some of that up in this here state park! Now, this is classic Sean Michael sex scenes and whatnot but I never care because these guys are adorable in a very old school M/M way from when I started reading this genre back in the early 2000's. They're full of lovey dovey truncated sentences. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.
Babies!!! We get not one baby but twins. A boy and a girl who are freaking adorable. The book is basically the first year of their lives. I love that they aren't just decorative characters. This is really a book about the family as a whole. Peter, Chad, and the kids are building something and it's awesomely portrayed. Sean Michael does uncomplicated feel good family books so well and this one, along with Daddy Daddy and Me, is one of the best.
So, I recommend this book to anyone who's yearning for some cheesy but really sweet writing. This book is definitely not one for everyone, so really read the reviews before you buy is what I'd advise. Me? I love it. No shame in my game. I LOVE it.
“There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins.� ~Josh Billings
Peter, of 'First Steps' by Sean Michael, wants a family so much he hires a surrogate mother to bear his children. He thought he was prepared but soon finds that nothing can prepare anyone for twins. They may be two times the joy, but they are also double the work. Peter isn't doubting his love and desire for children, but he is beginning to question his sanity at ending up in an isolated cabin in Alaska, alone trying to care for twin babies. There simply isn't enough of him to keep up. When the park ranger, Chad, stops by to check on them, he quickly realizes that Peter is in way over his head and offers to help.
Peter wants to be able to take care of his babies and is trying his best to make a go of it. He soon has to face the fact that the cabin he has rented while waiting for something better, is in bad shape and is nowhere to be raising babies. With the wind howling, scaring the babies and the roof leaking, he's at his wit’s end. When Chad comes to his door, he becomes Peter's knight in shining armor, there to rescue Peter who is desperate for help. Peter is amazed to find a man who loves babies so much and knows what to do with them. He is instantly attracted to Chad, but now he has to consider what's best for his babies as well as himself. Peter has to be more cautious about whom he choses to let into their lives, so he tries to hold off.
Chad has always loved children and, as a foster child, he's learned to care for them. He wants a family of his own someday, but for now, he thinks he's satisfied to live alone. He is attracted to Peter as well and respects his reticence at jumping into anything too fast. When they discover they are both gay, Chad realizes there may be a chance for more than friendship. Everything just seems right with Peter and the babies, with whom he soon falls in love, are just icing on the cake. When Peter and the babies move in with him, it is like the pieces of a huge puzzle are falling in place. Chad and Peter are great in bed together, although I have to wonder how they manage to have sex as frequently as they do, with babies in the house. They are great friends and partners, learning and loving more about each other every day. When Peter almost loses it, Chad is right there to help him put things back in perspective and realize that even though Peter may have felt out of control, he really wasn't. Peter is so afraid he'll do something wrong and scar the babies for life, but Chad is there to reassure him, telling Peter that his love for them and his good heart will guide him.
This is a very endearing story about two men who find each other, who have similar natures and ideals. The babies are adorable and, of course, they steal the show. It was fun to hear about their developments and Peter and Chad's reactions to each new accomplishment. This is an easy read with little angst or conflict in it; one to escape to when “real life� gets too tough to handle. If you enjoy a super sweet love story with few problems and a lot of sex and happiness you may like this one. Thanks, Sean, for bringing some sweetness into my life.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on .
Peter and his two newborns leave “the city� to move to Juneau for some peace and quiet. Peter’s ex, Allan, has abandoned him and doesn’t wish to be a part of their lives anymore. Peter is a writer, so he works from home, and is trying to find the best place to raise his kids.
Chad meets Peter on his rounds as a Forest Ranger. He warns Peter about the upcoming fire danger and ends up falling in love. Literally.
Pretty much from day one the two are all over each other. Both men just know the other is “the one�. Chad has always wanted a family and Peter’s comes ready-made.
There is zero angst in this book. Zero. Lots, and lots of ooey gooey super sappy lovey dovey moments.
If that is what you are in the mood for � I highly recommend it. It’s fun, easy and so very sweet.
If you want something with a bit more substance� I’d look elsewhere. This book makes no pretensions, it’s happily ever after from day one.
The babies take up a lot of page time as does the sex and the ILYs.
I pretty much loved it, I got a bit OD’d on the “You’re so fines� and the “I love yous� but mostly I enjoyed it for what it was � a happy and sweet romance.
I was non thinking to buy a sci-fiction romance when I bought First Steps... The story of a man who willingly decides to mate with a single parents with two babies under one years old? pure science fiction!!! Ok, ok, I'm joking.
This is a tenderful story about Chad, a lonely park ranger who arrives like a knight in shining armor to help Peter, a gay man who has decided to be father, and has used a substitutive mother to gain his goal.
But the life of a single father, even more of a single father of twins, is not simple and also living in an isolated cottage in the mist of a forest. So when Chad appears on the front door is like a miracle.
And all the book is a miracle: the miracle of life and love, love between lovers and love between parents and sons. It's a vry beautiful story, maybe a little too perfect if we see the real life: but this is one of the reason becuase I read romance, because I want to dream of the perfect love.
When porn is mixed with family drama it is not always the best reader choice, but yes females readers would like it...at least some of them. Peter was gay who payed surrogate mother to carry his child. He and his partner planed one, but it went in the direction, he did not expect. Instead one kid he got twins and extramoney to pay and his boyfriend left him. He moved to Alaska and met nice gay ranger and you got a story laced with diapers and kid food. Yuck. It is some cozy and warm that it scares shit out of me. But still here is the plot and I think those who likes gay couple with kids engaged in domestic pleasure would like this book a lot.
This may be the first time I've ever said this: this book was WAYYYY too long! There was zero, zilch, nada tension and the leads were together and had resolution by 17% into the story. What followed was just these perfect leads, in their perfect life, with perfect babies, having perfect sex. I hate to say it but I was b-o-r-e-d outta my gourd. Still I finished, yes, with book diabetes, but finished.
Sean Michael is my go to fluff and feel good reads...this was just a little too much even for me. I think the cute babies carried me to the end but there was just something missing in the connection between the MC's. I love my insta-loves but this was just a tad too much. Or at least the execution failed a little for me. I found myself skimming and it had the potential to be incredible.
Still love this author just unfortunately not this shorty.
Gawd if his name wasnt on the front of the book I'd never believe Sean Michael wrote it! it was sooo boring! I kept waiting and hoping for something to happen! It was sweet that they met and fell in love so quickly but then they never even fought or disagreed abt anything! It was the least believable book I've ever read I think. ..I think my fav stories of seans are the BDSM ones.
I'm a little disappointed by this book. The idea was great and I'm a sucker for stories with babies. But the development wasn't great at all. Too many dialogues and the relationship between MCs too fast. It wasn't what I was expecting uff
Super sweet. A really lovely HEA read. BUT it just went on for too long. Although in saying that it was a nice change to read something that had a continuation to the story past the regular ‘everyone’s together let’s end it now� you get in so many books. Really do like Sean Michael’s style of writing.
Sad to say but I'm not really a fan of this book. Absolutely no plot, no character development. It's all about having sex and feeding babies. And the dialogue.. my God! Don't get me started there. Vocabulary is very limited. The characters are the exact same in all of Sean Michael's books, they just have different names. I was over it before I ended the first chapter.
I first read this one many years ago, and it is still as sugary sweet as I remember. Peter & Chad have a very sweet connection, and I adored watching them raise the twins together. Chad always treated the twins as his own, and he was amazing with them. They did fall in love very quickly, but they just worked so well together.
Peter, leaves behind the city with his two adopted children ( babies) and heads to Alaska. Enter Chad the park ranger. this lovely read introduced tow lovely characters one struggling to look after his kids and the other looking out for him and falling in love. read it and enjoy as much as I did.