Genre: Contemporary Alternative (MM) Romance Heat Level: 3 Word Count: 16, 920 ISBN: 978-1-77130-528-0 Editor: Avril Ashton Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Chasing Matt by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

Heat Level 3
$3.99
SKU 978-1-77130-528-0
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Chase Williams is a gorgeous but painfully shy web designer whose long-term boyfriend dumped him for being such a “nice” guy. Instead of meeting his buddies at the local bar for a drink, he helps his elderly neighbor with a DIY project. When a wobbly step ladder leads to a banged up wrist and a trip to the ER, Chase is convinced it’s the worst night ever. Then he meets his handsome nurse.

Matt Owens is the boy next door who loves working in the busy ER. He’s more than ready to clock out from his double shift until he meets his patient in Bed 4.

But will Matt’s attraction to Chase be enough to make him break his rule about never dating patients?

Be Warned: m/m sex


Excerpt:

Nurse Matt Owens paused and held my eyes for a minute before leaning over to type some notes on the computer. My skin flushed when he looked away. I liked the feeling of his eyes on me. I only wished he did it with personal interest instead of the clinical way he evaluated my injury.

I shifted on the stretcher as he gently manipulated my wrist, his hands steady and warm through the gloves. The pain was mostly manageable, until he held onto my forearm with one hand, and flexed my hand backward with the other. I jumped and yelped, unable to hide how much even that small movement hurt.

His eyes were sympathetic, but his hands remained firmly on my arm, steadying me. “Sorry. Bad news? There’s a lot of swelling, and the skin is already turning a nice shade of purple.”

He looked back down at my wrist, and manipulated my fingers and wrist again. When he held my hand still and slowly moved his thumb in circles over the top of my wrist, my breath hitched. The pain of the injury mixed with a deeper pleasure that shot straight to my cock. I quickly shifted my good arm to cover my lap.

“Pain?” Matt’s concerned eyes met mine as he moved his thumb, gently rubbing the swollen skin between my thumb and pointer finger.

“A little.”

“Pressure points can help alleviate pain sometimes, but right now you’re too swollen to receive any real benefit. This pressure point is called the Valley of Harmony, but I’m sensing this is less than harmonic for you.”

I thought I saw the smallest hint of a smirk on his lips, but I couldn’t be sure since his face was still tilted down toward my arm. I cursed at myself for getting turned on by a nurse’s clinical exam.

“I’ve just called for a tech from Radiology to escort you down for your scans. Do you have any questions?”

I laughed under my breath. Did I have any questions? A whole litany of questions came to my mind ranging from where the hell was the exit so I can finally go home to what’s your phone number.

After I settled on the new stretcher, the tech wheeled me down the hallway towards Radiology. All I thought about was whether Matt would be there when I got back from the tests. If he was, and I hadn’t killed anyone from the pain taking over my whole body, maybe I’d actually work up the courage to strike up a conversation that had nothing to do with sludgy coffee, sucky fluorescent lighting, or beautiful ER lobbies, and get to know more about Nurse Owens. Maybe I’d embrace the new Chase Williams like Brett wanted me to and actually go after what I wanted for the first time in my life.

Product Reviews

Score: 4 out of 5 (based on 8 ratings)
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4/5
The Romance Review
Written by undefined on 23rd Feb 2014

CHASING MATT is a fluffy, lighthearted romance leaving you wanting more. Chase is a shy web designer who prefers quiet nights at home rather than go partying and is just recovering after a bad break up. His ex Stephen was always putting him down, moaning about everything from Chase's glasses, how boring he is, to his job working from home. After a bout at the gym, Chase just wants to go home and go to bed and forget about everything for a while. But being a bit of a good Samaritan, Chase can't turn down his elderly neighbor's plea for help with changing a light fitting and an accident with a rickety stepladder precipitates a visit to the ER. Chase's night just goes from bad to worse, with a long wait in the hospital with a sore wrist. His night looks up, however, when he is seen by the handsome nurse, Matt. Unfortunately, Matt has a rule about not mixing business with pleasure and doesn't date patients from work. Chase might just change his mind on that... Since it is a romance, you know Matt's rule will not be enforced for long, and it isn't. The two of them get together later that night, which did seem a bit rushed to me, but for these characters, it seemed to work. There definitely was instant attraction, if not instant love, which worked better, I think. They desired each other, but they didn't start spouting 'I love you' that first night. Despite the short length, there is an interesting story and good character development. There were a couple of typos and missing words, which did mar my enjoyment somewhat, but not enough to make me stop reading. I wanted to know how things with Matt and Chase progressed. An entertaining read with an ending that left me smiling.

4/5
The Long and Short of It Reviews
Written by undefined on 26th Jan 2014

After falling from a step ladder while helping his elderly neighbor, Chase Williams bangs up his wrist and ends up in the ER for treatment. Following hours of waiting, he’s finally led through and a nurse takes his vitals. Moments later, trying to ignore the pain in his sprained wrist, Chase hears her teasing another nurse – Matt – about how hot Chase is and how they’d be perfect together. Despite a bad break up, Chase can’t help his attraction to Matt and soon the chemistry is sizzling between them. I really enjoyed this story. Chase is a sweet guy, a little nerdy but with a shy heart of gold shining through. Matt has a dry, snarky sense of humour and the instant attraction between them sizzles on the page. Despite this attraction I was a little surprised Matt turned down Chase’s initial advances. It was clear to me they were both really interested in each other, but after his own messy break up and being outed at work, Matt has a rule against dating people he meets at his job in the hospital. I found this to be one of those rare books where the characters don’t do precisely what you expect them to. Small jokes, sizzling chemistry and little surprises kept me turning the pages, laughing and wondering what would happen next. The only thing that slowed the pace for me was more than half the book is the lead up to Matt and Chase getting together. For a short story I usually like the pace faster, so the resolution (not just the sex, but the mechanisms of the relationship and seeing the two main characters be together as a couple) doesn’t feel like a footnote at the end. It’s a delicate balance between a book feeling rushed and moving too slowly and this one felt a bit too much of the latter for me. I ended up skimming some of their interactions to cut the chase – so to speak – and that was a little sad, since the storyline, characters and their interactions are worthy of relishing and really enjoying each moment. With amazing, complex and intricate characters, I found this story to be brimming with heart, laughter and excellent writing. I was invested almost immediately with both Chase and Matt, and really rooting for them to get together. The sex was deliciously spicy and incredibly erotic, well worth the wait. Not too campy, but still strongly emotional, I believe this is an excellent entrance into the world of M/M and a good book to recommend those who aren’t sure of this growing genre or like their romance spicy but not pushing the envelope. An emotional, character driven story that I greatly enjoyed. Recommended.

4/5
Hearts on Fire Review
Written by undefined on 2nd Oct 2013

If you are looking for a dramatic, angsty book this is probably not for you. If, however, you are looking for a light sweet read with likeable characters and some humor, this is it. Chase is a kind, lonely soul who’s self-confidence took a major hit at the hands of his asshat ex-boyfriend, Stephen, who convinced him that good and nice aren’t things that should be appreciated. I loved that Chase’s friend, Brett, gets to call Stephen a “douchenozzle”. Good! Chase is a sweet man who helps elderly neighbors. To this end, he ends up falling off a ladder and going to the emergency room, where he meets the gorgeous nurse, Matt. Unfortunately, Matt has also had a bad experience with relationships and so nope, not dating a patient. This leads him to acting like, in his own words, “kind of an idiot”. Yes, you did. You called him NICE! This is their beginning and we really don’t get much more than that. It’s their start. There are some editing issues that weren’t glaring but were noticeable, “I got out the car”, “”you threw you glasses”, for example. The confrontation with Stephen was good even as I wanted someone to just wale on him, what a jerk. Sweet, fluffy and hopeful with a NICE guy.

5/5
LOVED Matt and Chase!
Written by Janet Ellinger on 8th Sep 2013

I don't normally buy novellas. I enjoy a good, long book. But I was anxiously awaiting the release of this one and I wasn't disappointed! Chase is a geeky, computer nerd and I have a thing for geeks! Matt is a hunky nurse and I also have a thing for hunks, so....this little story was right up my alley! I really enjoy the M/M genre because I like male angst in my books and when it's a romance between two men, there is automatically going to be angst! I loved both boys and their different personalities. I would love to see how their story continues....pretty please? Especially in the truck! Haha! ;O)

5/5
CHASING MATT
Written by Helena Stone on 8th Sep 2013

So, what is it that makes a book a wonderful read for me? I’m not sure I can put my finger on what exactly the secret ingredient(s) may be but I know one thing for sure. If I have a huge, happy grin on my face once I finish a story it is a sure sign that I found one of those very special little gems. And boy did I have a - probably rather stupid - grin on my face when I put my reader aside and reflected on what I’d just read. Apart from the fact that this is a charming story about two men meeting each other under less than ideal circumstances and getting together despite the odds being stacked against them – as if that isn’t enough – there is a lot to love in this novella. I loved the banter between these two men, the way they are teasing each other almost from the moment they first meet in the emergency room. I adore that Matt and Chase aren’t stereotypes. It is nice to have a story where the confidence and insecurity seem to shift from moment to moment between the two characters. Chase is a typical geek who loves his job and is usually quite happy in his own company, something his former partner couldn’t or wouldn’t appreciate: “I’m lame. Too boring. Too nice. Not funny or outgoing or enough for him. I’m too much of a recluse for Mr. Popular.” And Matt has his own reasons for avoiding getting too close with Chase, this hot patient he is treating in the emergency room. But, and this is one of the things I love so much about this book, there is no protracted drama. Neither of these men allows their hang-ups to get in the way of instant attraction. As Matt says: “What kind of idiot lets one bad experience dictate how they live their life.” I’ve recently found myself getting really impatient with books in which one or more of the main characters is forever second-guessing themselves and can’t express how delightful it is to read a book in which the main protagonists get over themselves and their insecurities and just grab the bull by the horns. And the banter between Matt and Chase. Did I mention how much I loved it? How could I not end up smiling when faced with dialogue like this: “Matt? Shut up and kiss me…My pleasure. Shutting up now.” And then I haven’t even mentioned how hot this story is. Once Chase and Matt get together the story changes from charming into steaming. The need they feel for each other, the tenderness between them and the pure and unadulterated passion that is unleashed was a pure delight to read and managed to warm (if not heat up) more than just my heart. “The things you moaned are illegal in twenty-seven states, I’m pretty sure. But for you, I’ll try them all once.” If I had to come up with one complaint about this book it would be that it wasn’t any longer. I would have loved to spend another hour, day or even week with Matt and Chase. But, that is not to say that this story isn’t long enough or feels rushed or unfinished. Quite the opposite in fact. This is a perfectly constructed story; it tells the reader what they need to know in order to get a good idea about who these characters are. There is enough of a back story to explain the way they behave and there is so much chemistry between Matt and Chase that the heat of it shimmers off the page. In short; this was one very lucky find and a very promising debut for these two authors. And now that I’ve been introduced to Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin I can only hope that they’ll continue writing. As long as they do, either together or with individual works, they’ll have one faithful reader in me.

5/5
5 Star Review: Chasing Matt by Nikka Michaels & Eileen Griffin
Written by deidre elizabeth on 8th Sep 2013

Firstly, let me just point out if you didn’t notice, that I didn’t indicate in the genre that Chasing Matt is a M/M novella. I didn’t because for me, romance is romance, no matter if it’s M/F, M/M, F/F, M/M/F… you get the picture. And if you’ve read this far (by that, I mean you’ve read the blurb), you know that it’s all about the men. The sweet, hot, and oh-so perfectly matched men. So without further ado… Talk about a couple of people who meet at just the right time, even if at first sight, the timing [and location] is less than ideal; this is it. Chasing Matt is a wonderfully written tale of two people taking chances– taking a risk of changing their habits, their way of being, and letting their heart, and their chemistry for each other lead the way. Are you an idiot? Of course you’re going to let the hot nurse drive you home. Sweet. Gawkward. Hot. Charming. HAWT. Just a few words to describe these boys. Nikka Michaels & Eileen Griffin have crafted two genuine characters, with quirks, insecurities and emotional barriers that are normal given their pasts and paths in life. How many of us stick to our comfort zones, especially after being hurt? The strength that it takes to make that first step, say those first words to someone new, to take the chance lest you be left with the regret of ‘what could have been’, is incredible. And while reading it, I could feel rush of words tumble out when Chase breaks his pattern by expressing what he wants at just the right time. From the beginning, with the sidelong glances, the almost instantaneous fantasies resulting from the smallest touches, you can feel the longing, the tension, the anticipation, that by the time they… fireworks Let me just say that if you love witty banter, HEA, the good guys coming in first, if you have an appreciation for the man love–DO NOT HESITATE to get your copy of Chasing Matt. I only wish it were longer, but even for a novella, their story was complete in satisfying a need for a chemically charged HEA. Maybe there will be a follow up all about catching Matt, or giving Chase, or… :let’s my mind wander off to what may happen in Matt’s truck: I can’t wait for more from these two newly minted authors! Happy reading!

4/5
Review: Chasing Matt by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin
Written by MandaColette on 8th Sep 2013

Short and sweet, this fifty-five page novella shows how two people could have missed the chance of a lifetime if they had kept their mouths closed and not said a single word. Michaels and Griffin did a good job with pacing the story to keep it moving along. This may be the story you’ll want to read if you have an hour to kill and would like a feel good moment. I did find that I was missing that certain spark that makes me fall in love with characters. In any sort of romance, be it a novella or a complete novel, I need that one line that gives me butterflies. I need that one verb or adjective that will make me block out the entire world in order to get to the next page as quickly as possible. There are some spots within this story that came very close to it, but it just didn’t quite make it there for me. There was a point when the characters were close to getting it in that I said, “Stop talking and do each other!” LOL! Yes, I’m a woman of few words and sometimes I like my love scenes to be as well. In other areas, the dialogue between the characters simply made me smile. Reading about Chase and Matt is sort of like watching two teenagers who you know like each other but are too afraid to admit it. I may or may not have started singing “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid. What I did enjoy was the underlying message of the story: someone loves you for the way you are. Be you a computer geek or hot nurse, a book loving introvert (like myself) or a party starting extrovert, there is a Yin to your Yang. In some cases, that other person will have a mighty fine wang, too.

3/5
Mini-Review: Chasing Matt by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin
Written by J9 on 8th Sep 2013

This was an enjoyable short novella about two nice guys connecting. I liked that most of the novella is injured Chase chatting with Matt, the ER nurse practitioner with the sexual interlude closing out the novella. This allowed me as a reader to see how insecure Chase was that he could attract someone and shows Matt’s reluctance to get involved with a quasi-patient after a bad previous experience. But the best thing about this novella is the humor between Chase and Matt, especially in the bedroom. Matt has a special appreciation for geeky men like Chase and shares this which I found tender and romantic, plus it helps that Matt references Spiderman! My only quibble with this novella is that Matt and Chase’s newfound relationship has absolutely no resolution, not even much of a happy-for-now. There is the expected confrontation with Chase’s ex-boyfriend that I could see from the onset which was resolved well for Chase’s ego but no resolution for Matt and Chase. I think even a few sentences could have gone a long way toward making me feel they men weren’t simply going for breakfast together!

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