Review: Crash Pad by Whitley Gray

Author: Whitley Gray

Publisher: Loose Id

Pages/Word Count: 77 Pages

At a Glance: Whitley Gray does a fabulous job with character development and giving me what I look for in a story.

Reviewed By: Jackie

Blurb: Physician Remy Marshall has two loves: Emergency Medicine and running. Work doesn’t leave much time to meet guys, and most seem more interested in his bank account than him. With a week off to train for a marathon, Remy plans to make the most of his precious vacation. The last thing he needs is a distraction.

Jamie Sutton is new to the area. He hopes to make a fresh start after leaving an abusive relationship with an orthopedic surgeon. He’s got a new job as a massage therapist and wants to meet some nice guys. Against his better judgment, Jamie decides the best way to meet a cute rollerblader he’s seen in the park is on wheels.

With attention on his watch and not where he’s going, Remy crashes into Jamie and fractures the first-time rollerblader’s ankle. Jamie has no one to help him after the injury; Remy proposes Jamie stay with him. Jamie is reluctant, but it’s a better option than staying with the odd guy in the neighboring motel room. As the two get acquainted, Jamie’s past comes calling. Remy discovers the prize he really wants isn’t a medal in a marathon, but the man right in front of him.

Review: Crash Pad is my first experience with a Whitley Gray book. The blurb sounded so fun and cute that I just had to read it despite the fact that it was a rather short story. I am not usually a fan of the short story because I almost always feel like there’s something missing. In this story, though, I truly felt like I got the total package.

I absolutely loved how the two MCs met in this book. Poor Jamie was actually trying to pick up someone else when a distracted Remy smacked right directly into him. Pure genius! When Remy sees where Jamie is staying, he takes the man home and from there, the relationship between them sparks out of control.

Unfortunately Jamie has some unresolved issues in his past, and boy do they come a-knockin’! In a weird six degrees of separation thing, Remy and Jamie find that they have a lot more in common than a strong attraction.

Whitley Gray does a fabulous job with character development and giving me what I look for in a story. As is usual when I read a story that hits my happy place, it was over way too soon. But, I didn’t feel there was anything missing, which is all too common for me with short stories. There is plenty of happy, there was just enough sad, and there was also tons of funny. What more could I ask for?

I would love to read more about Jamie and Remy, and if not, I will still be giving Whitley Gray another read and another and another…