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Fireworks

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Like the Broadway show tune, Daniel Fine prefers his relationships to be for “One Night Only”— hot, hard, and gone the next morning. Daniel is looking to never, ever be in a relationship again. He’s been there, done that, and has the scars to prove it. And then he meets Steven …

Steven is looking for that forever relationship; someone who matters, someone to come home to.

So, of course, they want each other.

Daniel has baggage, eight years of baggage, to be exact. He has an ex-partner, rampant trust issues and a recently developed allergy to anything real, anything beyond the heat of writhing bodies. Steven is starting over; new city, new job. He has worked hard to recover from a hurt hidden in his past, but unlike Daniel, he still has faith in the possibility of forever.

Can mutual lust become mutual trust? Can for now become forever? Fireworks explores what it takes to be truly happy.

466 pages, ebook

First published July 23, 2014

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About the author

Aimer Boyz

4 books9 followers
It's been a long and meandering path from that first attempt at writing a Star Trek story, to Fan Fiction, to seeing my own books on Goodreads. A journey I didn't intend to take, a destination I never expected to reach.
Life, full of surprises, page after page.

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5 stars
9 (33%)
4 stars
10 (37%)
3 stars
6 (22%)
2 stars
1 (3%)
1 star
1 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for ~Mindy Lynn~.
1,399 reviews653 followers
October 23, 2015
I really loved this one. I started this book with high hopes and was not disappointed. I decided to write a small review since this book has very little of them. I was nervous about purchasing this book considering that point.
The two main characters, Steven and Daniel, both have had shitty past relationships that have screwed up both of their self worth. Although Steven has come to terms with his by seeking help at the time, Daniel is still holding on tight to his baggage and hurt.
When they say opposites attract that statement couldn't be more true for these two men. Daniel is constantly losing his keys and throwing his clothes wherever they may fall. He's a writer and his work is a hot mess of papers he has scattered on his dinning room table. His clothes are a bit ratty and are described as something a college student would be wearing not a 32 year old man. He's very relaxed and mellow. He loves the night and sleeping in late. Definitely not a morning person. Steven on the other hand is very particular on how he likes his things. He's quite anal. He doesn't like messes. He likes his things to match and be color coordinated. He laminates things. He's a pharmacist who likes a schedule and likes making lists. He doesn't like chaos nor does he do anything without scheduling it. He has a certain bed time and loves the mornings.
I'm guessing you can see how different these men are from one another. But in the end they just fit together.
There is very little drama and even less angst. I must admit I was looking for a bit more drama from Daniels ex-boyfriend, but it was mild. I could have done with a bit more heat there. I really liked Daniels family and how extremely nosy they were and how involved they were in each others lives. I have a similar family so I totally got it.
The story is funny, charming, and it flows very well. There is no instant love. It builds up and the relationship just seems so real on the way it develops. I really liked that aspect of the story. Nothing seemed rushed or fake. It all seemed very natural on how a real relationship would process and grow.
I'm happy I didn't let little to no reviews stop me from purchasing this. I guess sometimes you just gotta take a risk and hope the book is as good as you hoped it would be. This was worth that risk. Hopefully more enjoy it as much as I did.
Profile Image for Leo.
58 reviews2 followers
October 14, 2014
Wonderful debut book by Aimer Boyz. For some reasons it feels very similar to the Tv series Brothers & Sisters, not in a bad way, but the same sense of strong family bond and homey atmosphere. There's a BUTTLOAD of supporting cast, mostly Daniel's family members, to familiarize yourself with. It was quite overwhelming at first, but I got used to it eventually.

Pros:
- Smooth flow of prose and solid writing
- Very charming cast of supporting characters that feel real and alive with personality
- Palpable chemistry between the MCs
- Very comfort read worthy
- Low to little angst
- Overall sweet as hell
- It's hard to describe but the author's tone and style is right up my alley. It's not too angsty, too sweet. The relationship felt realistic, unlike some works in which it reads like an M/F book rewritten into gay romance.
- Will reread it in months to come.

Cons:
- Just a teeny bit too many extra characters. I personally feel that Daniel could do with one less sister and hence less one brother-in-law.
- The contrasting personality could have been more detailed and emphasized.
- I had a shitty day of work after stay up until 4 in the morning reading this.

Aimer if you're reading this keep up the good work and please write more.
Profile Image for Michelle.
144 reviews
December 3, 2019
Daniel Mine (originally Fireworks) is a great read from start to finish. Daniel, a writer who wants no part of a relationship, meets Steven, a pharmacist, at a Canada Day get together. Sparks fly between them from the get go. It is not smooth sailing, however, as Daniel is still carrying his baggage from his past - not to mention, Daniel's hilarious loving, yet buttinsky family, watching every move they make.

Daniel, a messy guy, who is always losing his keys, and Steven, the neatnik, are very lovable characters with a lot to work out. Their journey was a lot of fun to read, especially with Daniel's family in the mix. This book had the perfect mix of humor, angst, and heat. I know I will be reading this one again, and I would love to read more about these two guys!
Profile Image for Bex.
156 reviews6 followers
December 7, 2014
Aww, this one's a sweetie. A solid 4.5, but half a point off for irritating families and POV changes that give you whiplash - honestly, switch off for 2 secs and you could be in anyone's head.

I love stories where you join MCs on their journey from the point they first meet / start tentatively thinking about getting together rather than the journey up to that point - makes this one a really chilled read for me, and a definite keeper.
Profile Image for Judy Martin.
Author 1 book4 followers
July 16, 2017
A cracking read!!

This book had sparks flying, plenty of banging and left me with a warm glow at the end.
I loved the main characters Daniel and Stephen,; the banter between them as well as the hot sex!
Daniel's family dynamics also added to the story, their closeness and obvious love for each other. Relationships can be complicated , especially when there two very different personalities are involved and an ex for good measure!. Expect some twists and turns and some very raunchy scenes, but also some laughs and warm fuzzy moments too!!
Profile Image for Hugh W. Roberts.
Author 2 books35 followers
February 18, 2015
Daniel had been in a relationship for eight years but it ended with his partner, Aiden, leaving him for another man. He’s hurt by the spilt and has no interest in meeting a new partner. He does what every other self-respectable guy does when getting dumped. He hits the bars, credit card in hand, gets plastered and tries hooking up with any guy that moves, because that’s how he thinks he can obliterate the memory of Aiden. Steven has just moved to the house opposite one of Daniel’s sisters and she invites Steven to the Canada Day celebrations she and her husband throw every year for Daniel and the rest of the family. Little does Daniel know that his whole family have plotted for the two men to meet with the hope that maybe love will blossom between the pair. However, soon after meeting, in walks Stephanie into their lives, who proudly announces she is Steven’s Ex.

Daniel and Steven are two of the most lovable characters I have ever encountered in a book. From the beginning I fell in love with both, not only because of the descriptions the author built up of them, but because of the way both seemed so naïve that love would be something they would ever experience again. Like most relationships it’s lust which makes both men want to get to know each other far better but, as time goes on, love also starts to play its part in the developing friendship between the two men.

All of Daniel’s family do whatever they can to get Daniel and Steven together. Daniel’s father offers to help Steven assemble some new furniture, while Daniel’s mother invites Steven around for the meal the whole family have together on a Friday evening. Daniel’s two sisters, Karen and Sandy, and their husbands also want to play a part in helping Daniel find true love again after the heartache Daniel encountered when his relationship with Aiden ended. Little else seems to matter to the whole family other than Daniel’s future love life.

Boyz writes the book like she is part of the family the book is centred around which is just how it should be. She carried the story along very nicely and ensures that each member of the family plays their part in ensuring that Daniel finds true love. On the other hand, she barely mentions Steven’s family which I found quite odd even if they do live the other side of the country. She has a very interesting way in the way she writes in getting the reader to really like every character in the book. I even found myself liking Aiden, Daniel’s Ex partner, who had brought so much heartbreak and sadness to Daniel, and who is the bad guy in the book.

There is a lot of Gay erotica in the book and, at first, I wondered just how she would cope with writing such material. She must have done a lot of research on the subject as she knew exactly what she was writing about and I could not fault any of the erotica scenes she wrote. In fact, some of the scenes rather took me down the memory lane of my younger days, which of course I won’t be divulging about. Some of the scenes seemed they were never going to end and although there are lots of them, never once did I think that Boyz was duplicating earlier scenes from the book.

Although the main characters in the book are part of the same family, the other characters she introduced played just as important a part and she cleverly connected each of these characters to Steven, Daniel or Daniel’s family. While reading the book I felt as if I were watching the whole story unfold on TV as I could very clearly picture everything that was happening in my head. To me, that is a very talented way to write as it makes the story seem even more real and true to life.

My only criticism of the book, other than there was little mentioned about Steven’s family, was that the chapters were far too long. They could very easily have been made into smaller chapters, especially where the story changed completely to a different scene with different characters or where there was a time break.

Fireworks is a typical love story with its ups and downs for the characters involved and will pull you deeply into a family who want nothing but happiness for one of its family members. It is an easy read and won’t have you turning back pages because of misunderstandings about its plot. You will either fall in love with, or wish you had two friends like, Daniel and Stephen because having them around would bring happiness and joy into anyone’s life. I do hope there’s a sequel because this story certainly deserves to have one. If not, then Fireworks would make a perfect screenplay.

Ratings

Realistic Characterisation: 5/5

Made Me Think: 3.5/5

Overall Enjoyment: 4.5/5

Readability: 5/5

Recommended: 4.5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Profile Image for UnusualChild{beppy}.
2,291 reviews59 followers
April 19, 2023
2.5 stars
Hoo boy. There were a LOT of editing errors, abrupt POV changes to random characters for a couple of sentences, and then back again. Looking at Amazon, it looks as though the book has been re-released, with a lot less pages, so it would seem as though someone tightened up on the story itself. It had good bones, I just got frustrated with all the extraneous stories coming in.
Profile Image for Ashley D.
1,283 reviews10 followers
July 24, 2020
Daniel doesn’t ever want to be in a relationship again, he was in a relationship once and still has the scars from that relationship. Steven is looking for someone to be in a relationship, he wants someone to come home to. Daniel and Steven are opposites in everything from the way they live to their jobs, and most especially their outlook on relationships. Steven will do anything to convince Daniel they can be good together.

I loved both Daniel and Steven for very different reasons. Daniel is a hot mess at 32 but he doesn’t let that stop him from living his life. Steven on the other hand was a bit uptight, but Daniel was able to relax and have fun once in a while. This was a great story about how opposites work, with very little drama.
Profile Image for Octopus.
25 reviews18 followers
November 1, 2014
I didn't enjoy reading this and ended up not finishing. The point of view kept changing and there are enough characters in it that made it annoying enough to give up on the book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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