Wicked Reads Reviews – May in December by Dawn Flemington

Bruce Deirmann has lost everything. His job, his house, his children and his partner. The holidays are fast approaching and even though he has a well-meaning ex-wife cheer leading him on and his daughter’s wedding in the wings, he still feels hopeless. At the end of his rope, he is challenged to make an early resolution--to start living again.

Jorry Nelson is a quirky dog walker who’s made a few resolutions himself. Alone in the world, he is determined to better his life and get out of the illegal job he is trapped in. A childhood friend of Bruce’s children, he enters Bruce’s life at the right time and the attraction on both parts is immediate.

Love blossoms like May in the cold of December. However, trouble follows Jorry and though he and Bruce are working on a new beginning for the both of them, will Jorry be able to leave his past activities behind? Or will they haunt the couple and tear them away from each other before true love and happiness have a chance to live?

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca  ~  Loose Id

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
Ms. Flemington has created a story about chances, and how life changes when you step up and take a chance that's in front of you.

Bruce is trying to get on with his life, a life that is now lonely. His kids are grown and his partner passed way leaving him wondering how to navigate life. When Jorry stumbles into his orbit, he's pleased to have someone to talk to you.

Jorry is one of those people whose troubled childhood has followed into his adulthood. Trying his best to make the right choices, he's often forced into doing things he knows are wrong.

I really enjoyed this story but felt that the last few chapters could have been expanded more to make for a more balanced story telling of the problems that Jorry was helping to resolve.


Erica – ☆☆☆
While I enjoyed the characters, the story itself just didn't come together for me. Separately, they were interesting. Together, they just didn't make any sense: the depressed, lonely older man and the wounded young man. May/December relationships are interesting, but there was an added creepy factor because he was the son's friend from elementary school. I never felt a spark between the characters, no connection, so I wasn't invested as a reader.

While I wanted to feel sympathetic towards the boy's plight, I just felt it unrealistic. Someone who had worked for months, with no bills to be had, aside from gas for his home-on-wheels (car), would have saved up some money at that point, especially in a job which MUST net you more money than working minimum wage, or else NO ONE would subject themselves to working as a prostitute/drug dealer. While this was the subject of the conflict, I knew how it was going to play out from its inception, so I entered a place where I tend to pick apart a story. It just seemed implausible, even for fiction.

When told not to beat the merchandise, as the 'buyer' didn't want a harmed product, he was abused anyway. While it makes it brutal to read, it ruins it when logic wins out: no one would work for a pittance at a job where they are abused, in a job where they have to keep the secrets of what the job entails, and the 'boss' wouldn't harm their employee as he could spill those secrets and no one would buy services of a broken product. Unless they were a throw-away, only to be used ONCE, a balance would be established between employer and employee. In reality, the 'handler' would have been done away with, as he was the abusive party, ruining the 'sale' of the merchandise.

I was a bit frustrated as I read, ruining the lightness of the romance. I knew the truth would be held back, creating strife that was unnecessary, and it would come to light, causing more problems. Perfect word for it: frustrated.

Overall, the story wasn't for me. Others will enjoy it. Others will find the strife, angst, romance, and mystery engaging. I recommend not thinking too hard on this story as you read it, as it will ruin its entertainment value.


Angie – ☆☆☆
This story had potential but it fell short for me. Some of it just seemed too over the top and too unbelievable. I felt Jorry’s pain in the book but also felt he could have done more to make his life better. Bruce falling for his children’s friend wasn’t an issue for me but I didn’t feel any sparks between Bruce and Jorry, NONE. Like I said, had potential, just didn’t do it for me.

Characters: The characters were well written
Sex: Yes
Religious: No
Would I recommend to others: Yes
More than one book in the series: No
Genre: M/M/Romance
Would I read more by this author: Yes


Shannan – ☆☆☆
2.5 stars
I have to say I struggled through this one. It just never seemed to gain that spark that I needed between the two MC's. Jorry being the younger of the two, working as a prostitute living in his car, falling for a much older man. George is the father of one of his close childhood friends. It just didn't come together. I get December/May romances burn hot and fast but this was missing the hot factor for me.

Separately I liked the characters. George trying to find his way after his partner, Robert died. Working for his ex-wife. Wanting a sign from Robert that it's okay to move on. Jorry being degraded by Todd, working for the pretentious Pickworth, living in his car. He's looking for someone to take care of him and rightfully so he needs it.

But together, it just wasn't there.


Veronica – ☆☆☆
I enjoyed the story of Bruce and Jorry. I like the way they slowly came together. There is a significant age difference between them but it wasn't really an issue for them.

Jorry's life circumstances were so sad and I shed a tear or two early on in the story.

The trouble Jorry finds himself in takes centre stage for the latter part of this book. While I enjoyed it I would have liked a little more time spent on the development Bruce and Jorry's relationship.

As a side note this book contains animal cruelty that, while necessary to the story, makes for disturbing reading.

Overall though, a good read.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
This was by turns sweet and then dramatic. Circumstances made things happen very quickly in places, which seemed surprising, yet worked. The revelation of their turning from friends to lovers in the eyes of their family was a very funny scene.

Dawn started out hobby writing fan fiction back in the 70s and has had a few things published in fanzine form and on fan-fic websites. She has written a weekly column for a county newspaper and has had a few magazine articles printed.

Dawn is engaged to Scott Flemington, a retired HS English teacher and sometimes co-author on stories. They are life-long Michiganders, and between the two of them have five children, seven grandchildren, a cat, and a turtle. They are highly active with their local GLBT and BDSM communities.

Connect with Dawn

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of May in December by Dawn Flemington to read and review.