He’s twice his size and a lot older, but will Mac let Quentin come out on top?Quentin is searching for…something. Respect.Answers.His identity.Most of all, he’s searching for a man who will let him be in charge, despite the fact that he looks like an elf. But all that will have to wait because right now, he’s searching for shelter after getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, New York with a … getting stranded in the middle of nowhere, New York with a massive snow storm about to hit. He finds an unexpected host in Mac, a man the whole town seems to hate. Mac has secrets…but so does Quentin.
Sparks fly between them, but can it lead to more when Mac is twice his size, a lot older, and practically a virgin… and when Mac can’t leave and there’s no way Quentin will stay?
Coming Out on Top is a steamy contemporary gay romance with an age gap, a dash of kink, a ton of snow, a gentle giant of a man, and a bossy twink. This title was previously published as Snow Way Out, but the content is unchanged.
more
Y’all this book kind of wrecked me. It was unexpected, uniquely sweet and I ended up sobbing into my pillow by the time I was done. There are books that you know will make you emotional, books that just make you feel good and there are books that are so unexpected they crush your heart and then put it back together all within a few hundred pages. This was one of those books.
Quentin is working his way to get his PHD and is across the country in upstate New York to do a bit of research on a small town. Now why travel across the country when there are small towns everywhere? Quentin’s dad disappeared without a trace almost 20 years ago and he figures why not kill two birds with one stone. Go to the last place he has any knowledge of his Dad and do his research. Apparently, fate had other plans, his car breaks down not far from his destination and with the only hotel in town being without heat during a terrible snowstorm Quentin has to find alternative lodging. He doesn’t expect for the gentle giant who bought his car for scraps to be the one to offer him his home but what other option does he have?
Mac is tall, built, pierced, tattooed and not someone you would want to encounter in a dark alley. After having been the town outcast his whole life because his father nearly bankrupted every person in town Mac is not used to people treating him with kindness. When a small elf a guy’s car is totaled, he thinks it will be another day, another transaction for him but he doesn’t expect this stranger to treat him normal but he does. Mac has a stutter that makes people treat him like even more of an outcast then he already is. When Mac gets a call to fix the heater at the hotel and realizes he can’t fix it he offers Quentin a place to stay until he can get a new car. Mac isn’t sure why he offered this guy a place to say but he knows there is something different and gentle about him that he isn’t used to.
After one encounter with Quentin in his underwear Mac understands why he never really felt like sex with women was enjoyable. He is attracted to men and it is something that has never crossed his mind. After only two days Quentin and Mac are exploring one another and embracing this new intimacy that is different for both men, but this isn’t just about their sexual chemistry which is HOT!!! Quentin and Mac seem to get each other on a whole different level because they have both have a rough go of things with each other things just seem to fall in to place. What was supposed to be a few days turns in to a week and then a month but when Quentin receives tragic news about his father, he must return home to California. Can these two men find a way to be together through the next couple years or will it just be too much?
GAH! I know I have said it over and over, but this story was beautiful and unexpected. I fell hard for both Mac and Quentin, more than I have for a book couple in ages! Coming Out on Top was my first Nora Phoenix novel and the first in this series by different authors but I will be reading more by Phoenix in the near future and maybe even some more in the Snowed in – Valentine’s Inc series as well.
This book took my by surprise. I don’t know why but it has been waiting in my library for a really long time and I’ve never gotten around to it. I’m happy I finally did. I started listening to it while walking my dogs and I couldn’t stop after that. Ignoring everything, I had to finish it. I had to know what the happy ending would look like. And here we are, it’s the middle of the night and I’m sobbing because it grabbed me so much. It’s something special, finding those books that grabs you and won’t let you go. Leaving you emotionally wrecked in the very best way. I will remember and think about this book for a very long time.
This book is about Quentin and Mac. Both men having had their fair share of trouble. Quentin is on his way to do a research project in a small town when his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Luckily for him he gets rescued and meets Mac. Mac is a big man. Almost scary. But on the inside he’s the gentlest of souls. My heart was bleeding for Mac pretty much from the start and I just wanted to hold him. Make him feel less lonely. Just like Quentin did. Quentin on the other hand is by all definitions a twink. But he craves more. Things some men have a problem with because of his size. But not Mac. He craves the exact thing Quentin wanted to give.
Read this book. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
This read had a little of everything.
It was like a delicious ice cream sunday with all the toppings. The cherry on top, was being able to hear it narrated by the decadent voice of the late Kenneth Obi.
You are truly mssed my friend.
This is my 1st read where a younger twink is the Dom and the older bear of a man is the sub.
Very light BDSM, as they both are new to it, GFY, AGE GAP, D/s with a speech impediment that is endearing.
So many feels in this one.
I truly recommend it, you won’t be disappointed.
Thank you for another wonderful escape Nora Phoenix!
I started reading, thinking this was going to be a quick, fluffy novella. Though it wasn’t what I was expecting, it blew me away in the best way! I was so intrigued by Mac (yes, I’m going to call him “Mac” to be consistent with the blurb) and wanted to unravel all his mysteries. Nora always does an incredible job weaving romance with plot points to keep me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put this book down.
I thought the dynamic between Quentin and Mac was very hot–I loved the kinky elements and scorching sex scenes. If I had to pick a favorite moment, it was probably the rope scene. Not only was it incredibly sexy, it addresses a hugely important element to D/s relationships. Submission has nothing to do with the tools a Dom uses, it’s about one person willingly submitting themselves to the other. Sure, Quentin couldn’t tie the ropes tight enough to keep Mac truly immobile, but that doesn’t make him any less of a Dom. I love that Nora brought this up instead of showcasing only “perfect” BDSM scenes.
Outside the steamy moments, I was pleasantly surprised by how deep and meaningful this story was. Quentin accepts and loves Mac exactly how he is, not despite of his disabilities but because of who he is as a man. Mac learns to love himself and not bury himself under the weight of his father’s sins. Quentin is able to let go of the fear he holds from prior relationships and trust that he is enough for his partner. My heart broke for Quentin when he was searching for information about his dad, but it’s a sad reality that you don’t always find the result you’re hoping for. I was rooting for these guys to get their happily ever after and was thrilled at how it ended!
**I received an ARC through Patreon. I am not obligated to review, and all opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
This story was so sweet, with a touch of kink. Mac, is a gentle giant with tattoos, piercings and a stutter. Things haven’t been easy for him, alone in his unforgiving small town. Quentin is younger, smaller, well educated and not afraid to speak his mind. They are seemingly opposite in every way, but once they get together, it becomes clear that they are just about perfect for each other in every way they could imagine, if not voice.
Their pasts both weigh on them for different reasons and that is where most of the drama comes from in the story, which is otherwise very light and focused on the two men getting to know each other and falling in love. The kink is light, and the fact that Quentin is the younger more dominant partner and Mac is eager to be the submissive in the relationship was a nice change of pace.
This was just the book I needed to put a smile on my face this weekend after some heavier reads.
Two beautiful souls…
Two souls who are paying for the sins of their father. One is very much aware of it while the other is not.
Quentin and Augustus are two of the sweetest characters I have ever read. They had been dealt with misfortune all their lives, and they are just trying to make things right, for themselves. But people can be very cruel, they can add to your inadequacy by being more cruel and by bullying. It does not matter that these people are older, they are bullies.
Finding that special someone and having that person accept you for who you are is not just luck but fate! Quentin and Augustus deserve their love and their happiness.
This book had me all over the place…made me laugh, cry, mad and filled my heart with love. Augutus (Mac) and Quentin love just jumps at you. And Augustus’s pain just stabs you in the heart. I just wanted to bundle him up and take him far away from that hateful town…after I beat up all of the town people up. Quentin and Augustus bringing happiness and love to each other just makes it all better. And boy are they sexy hot together . Nora outdid herself with this story. Augustus and Quentin just dig themselves into heart and refuse to leave