The Lonely Drop

Written by Vanessa North

Narrated by Biff Summers

Ten years ago, best friends and soccer buddies Nick Hana and Kevin Dorsey were inseparable—until Kevin put the moves on virginal Nick on the eve of their college graduation. Not wanting to be just another notch in Kevin’s bedpost, Nick turned him down and “lost” his new phone number.

A chance reunion brings the two together again, and the attraction and caring are as strong as ever. Cocky, gorgeous Kevin makes it clear he still wants Nick, but Nick needs more than he thinks Kevin can give. A slow dance and a snow storm give them a chance to clear up the misunderstandings of their past, but can one night of passion bridge ten years of silence?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Publishing
• Release date: Sep 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9781094427508

Vanessa North

Vanessa North is a romance novelist, a short fiction geek, and a knitter of strange and wonderful things. Her works have been shortlisted for both the Lambda Literary Award and the RITA© Award, and have garnered praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Publisher’s Weekly. She lives in Northwest Georgia with her family: a Viking, twin boy-children, and a pair of large dogs.

Reviews for The Lonely Drop

[Cece · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A ton of miscommunication, honestly no communication, but still very good. I loved the love I could tell both of them possessed for each other. It took long, to long for them to finally get together (years), but I’m happy it happened.

[ianrosales08 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story of 2 friends from college who grew apart after their graduation. They then found each other and reconnected which led to the relationship getting a second chance. Will they make it work or will the distance created by years of not seeing one another take its toll?

The story was narrated well. The reconnection parts were so convincing, it felt like I was also reuniting with an old friend. I also love the part where the story was so condensed yet it felt like a lot of things are happening as I read along. Some parts sent a lot of sparks flying yet it did not feel offensive

Overall, this is a story that a lot of people will be able to relate to especially those with someone who has not seen their friends or loved ones for a very long time.

[Nic Graham · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Couldn't finish after about 30%. I hope it got better after that, but I didn't want to stick around to find out

[char · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The characters were so sweet. I got a little worried they wouldn’t get out of their own way and thank goodness they did. Excellent narration. Good storyline. I would recommend.

[Unathi Guma · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It wasn't great and the intimate scenes were disgusting in some instances. I would not rule this out. But I would say... Listen to it, but won't expect much.

[NeosoulNoona · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a cute short friends-to-lovers story which is one of my favorites tropes. I enjoyed Nick and Kevin's dynamic and their journey back to each other. I KNOW I will listen to this one again. Great job by narrator Biff Summers.

[Caitlin Meuser · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Adorable. Definitely a shorter story but still able to show the connection between the two main characters well. The miscommunication is obnoxious but that’s what makes it fun. The sex is hot though it’s definitely a “slow burn”. Worth the read. A feel good fun book.

[anniene · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was disappointed when the sex scene came and it literally could have been between any two anonymous people.

I stopped listening at that point. Since one of the MCs was so clearly written as demi, and someone who needed more than just sex. I loved that this was so clear. Then....sex with dialogue that had nothing personal. Nothing specific to either of these two ppl.

[Kyle Martensen · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Square peg. Round hole. Writer makes stupid move. Casanova scumbag love interest who’d serve okay as bkstory guy who emo and pscho messes up mc. No amount of authorial fingersnapping plus sudden ooc love confession out of squat to prove it an HEA does NOT make.

[serenayates · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not wanting to be a notch on someone’s bedpost, especially if that someone is your best friend, may sound like a worthwhile goal, almost noble. But somehow Nick carries the whole idea too far and has to deal with the consequences – he ends up rather lonely because he hasn’t forgotten Kevin, the object of his affections, even ten years later. And what does he do when Fate hands him an opportunity to fix his mistake? You guessed it – he messes it up again. Boy, did I want to knock some sense into him! I mean, I love a good reunion story as much as the next person, but Nick carried things a little far for my ease of mind… which made for a very emotional story though, so it’s all good.

At first I had to admire Nick for sticking with his principles, despite being extremely attracted to Kevin, he refuses to give in for “just one night”. He wants much more, and thinks he cannot get it from Kevin. Ten years later, when the man of his affections walks into the bar/restaurant Nick now owns and runs, he figures out that he isn’t as over Kevin as he thought. But he still doesn’t want a one-night stand, and he still doesn’t listen very well.

Kevin may have been a bit slutty in college, but that is a long time ago. He also gives off a ton of signs that told me what he really wanted – but Nick just didn’t see them! Or maybe he was trying to protect his heart – whatever he was thinking, the constant heartbreak when they got closer, only to almost lose touch again just about did me in. Even all my cheering from the sidelines didn’t help - until Nick finally wakes up and smells the roses, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for a sign of a happy ending for theses two guys who so clearly deeply love each other!

If you like emotional dramas with lots of tension, if you like reading about misunderstandings almost ruining lives, and if you’re looking for a read that will keep you in suspense until almost the final page, then you will probably like this free short story.