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Susan Mac Nicol
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Worth Keeping Kindle Edition

by Susan Mac Nicol (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 389 ratings
Abused horrifically as a boy, Nick Mathers has come to terms with his existence as a man. Mostly. Other days life seems a little much. Especially when Nick knows he’ll always be alone. On those days his thoughts turn black. He walks the Norfolk coast and considers the frigid embrace of the waves.

And then, one stormy night, he finds someone who’s tasted just that. The beautiful stranger on the beach is near death, and Nick rushes him home to slowly nurse back to health. As he does, he finds a love unlike any other.

Owen Butler’s body is as warm as the sea was cold, his heart as big as an ocean. And Owen is a man who swears to repay the favor. Nick can yet be saved from himself, and he will see that he is indeed a man…worth keeping.
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  1. Print length
    308 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 22, 2013
  4. File size
    472 KB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

Top of lighthouse against a deep blue sky
Middle of lighthouse against a deep blue sky
Waves crashing agains the bottom of a lighthouse

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan writes steamy, sexy, often dark and always fun contemporary romance stories.She's a self-confessed bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, geek, nerd and in love with her Smartphone. This little treasure is called 'the boyfriend' by her long-suffering husband, who says if it vibrated, there'd be no need for him. Susan hasn't had the heart to tell him there's an app for that...

She's a member of The Society of Authors, the Writers Guild of Great Britain, and the Authors Guild in the US. Susan is an award-winning script writer, with scripts based on two of her own published works. Sight Unseen has garnered no less than seven awards to date.

In an ideal world, Susan Mac Nicol would be Queen of England and banish all the bad people to the Never Never Lands of Wherever -Who Cares. As that's never going to happen, she contents herself with writing her HEA stories and pretending that just for a little while, good things happen to good people.
 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HGZE238
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boroughs Publishing Group
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 22, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 472 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1938876875
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 389 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Susan Mac Nicol

Susan Mac Nicol

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Susan writes steamy, sexy, often dark and occasionally witty contemporary romance books. She’s dabbled in varied genres, both MF and MM, and has written paranormal, urban fantasy and romantic suspense stories.

Whether you’re looking for a heart-pounding romantic suspense or a deeply emotional love story, Susan’s portfolio has something for everyone.

Screenplay Success and Hidden Talents

Susan doesn’t just stop at novels. She’s an award-winning screenplay writer, with several scripts based on her published works. Her screenplay ‘Sight Unseen’ has garnered no less than ten awards, and her TV pilot ‘Reel Life,’ based on her debut novel ‘Cassandra by Starlight,’ was a winner at the Oaxaca Film Fest. Talent and passion together have propelled her into the spotlight of multiple creative fields.

Personal Touch: Fun Facts About Susan

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Susan is a person of diverse interests and experiences. She loves attending live music concerts, especially if her man-crushes Adam Lambert or Sam Smith is performing. Her leisure activities include lazing with a good book, enjoying a fine gin and tonic, and watching reruns of ‘Silent Witness.’

Her colourful past includes being chased by a rhino in Kenya, mistaken for a prostitute in Johannesburg, and being kicked out of a youth club for encouraging free thinking. With such a vibrant background, it’s no wonder her stories are packed with excitement and life.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
389 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a beautiful story with well-developed characters and readability that makes it worth reading multiple times. The emotional content receives positive feedback, with one customer noting how the love between characters grows with each chapter, while others describe it as a gut-wrenching romance. The writing quality is good, and customers consider it a keeper worth re-reading. The heartbreaking content receives mixed reactions from customers.

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37 customers mention "Story quality"37 positive0 negative

Customers love the story of this book, describing it as beautiful and heartfelt, with one customer noting it as a tale of faithfulness.

"...is absolutely first-class, the characters so lovingly and realistically drawn that any pathos is both understandable and authentic...." Read more

"...Like I said, this is a complex book and the author handled the psychology of it all very well...." Read more

"...I didn't give this story a higher rating is that while I loved the overall story line, it had a very weird feel to it at times...." Read more

"...From start to finish this was an intensely sexual read where sexual healing occurred through the many hot and heavy sexual encounters between Nick..." Read more

35 customers mention "Readability"35 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and worth reading multiple times.

"...And Ms. MacNicol is a star among them. This brilliantly written and profoundly beautiful book is not an easy read...." Read more

"...It was a good book and yes, both heroes are desperately wounded, but the author handled it well...." Read more

"...I think it is worth a read. I look forward to reading more by this author." Read more

"...Worth Keeping is well worth reading. Do not miss this one. Highly recommended." Read more

26 customers mention "Emotional content"26 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the emotional depth of the book, describing it as a gut-wrenching romance that warms the heart.

"...It will warm your heart and leave you with hope. Do not miss this one. It's a gem." Read more

"...It's an interesting love story and certainly not the norm. Most love stories don't begin with joint attempts at suicide, but it works...." Read more

"...What I took away from this story is a story of Love, it made me feel so warm inside. Read it as the Love Story that it was written as...." Read more

"...Owen is another wonderful character. He is so strong and loving. His determination to stick by Nick endears him to the reader...." Read more

20 customers mention "Character development"20 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book, with one customer noting how the love between them grows with each chapter.

"...The writing is absolutely first-class, the characters so lovingly and realistically drawn that any pathos is both understandable and authentic...." Read more

"...The secondary characters and even the village all work so well...." Read more

"...Owen is another wonderful character. He is so strong and loving. His determination to stick by Nick endears him to the reader...." Read more

"...wringer, I was immediately drawn to this story and its compelling characters...." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing quality"9 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book, with one noting its sensitivity to a difficult subject.

"...The writing is absolutely first-class, the characters so lovingly and realistically drawn that any pathos is both understandable and authentic...." Read more

"...The writing is tight. The writing belongs. Nick's life has never been easy. Owen's life has always been easy...." Read more

"...and his struggles even into his adulthood were believable and written with sensitivity...." Read more

"...The writing was good and the story meaning full. I do like lighthouses and the area around them. Been in a few my self...." Read more

6 customers mention "Value for money"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth keeping, with one mentioning it's worth re-reading.

"...I will want a copy, because, quite simply, this is a novel... Worth Keeping." Read more

"...This will be on my reread list. Worth Keeping is a keeper." Read more

"...Their story has it all.....survival, heartbreak, dastardly ex boyfriend.....but first and foremost heroic monkey!..." Read more

"No trash created by The Divine..." Read more

12 customers mention "Heartbreaking content"5 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the emotional content of the book, with several noting its heartbreaking moments, while one customer appreciates how the author handles the psychology and never dodges the realities.

"...The book has moments that are tough, but I didn't feel like it ever got too depressing or harsh...." Read more

"...characters so lovingly and realistically drawn that any pathos is both understandable and authentic...." Read more

"...Their story was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting and leaves me wanting to read more from this author." Read more

"...It's one of those books one simply cannot ignore because all the messages are valuable...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Alan Arthur Katz
    5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Best I've Read In A Long Time
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I've recently had some issues with British authors writing unconvincing American novels, but I do love a British author writing about Brits in the UK. And Ms. MacNicol is a star among them.

    This brilliantly written and profoundly beautiful book is not an easy read. Not because of language or characters or dialogue, but because of the deep suffering that one of the main characters (Nick) still endures as a result of horrendous sexual and physical abuse as a child, and later, from a sadistic "lover".

    He is living the life of a hermit, as a lighthouse keeper on the Norfolk coast. When his dreams torment him, he walks the cliffs and contemplates jumping, to put an end to the endless pain that reverberates from his youth, and the mother who pimped him out to feed her drug habit.

    One day, he spies a body washed up on the beach. Barely alive, Owen had gone overboard and washed up, literally, at Nick's feet. Nick takes him in, tends to him, and the rest is well, a difficult journey to happily-ever-after.

    Owen is a stunning character, so full of compassion and care, so patient, so empathetic with Nick's suffering that, in saving Nick, he saves himself.

    One other remarkable character is Nick's "dad", the policeman who saved his life, as an adolescent, adopted him, and raised him as his own son. This huge bear of a man is so filled with love and acceptance that he is all that's kept Nick alive these past ten-or-so years. Now it's Owen's turn.

    I know my synopsis (a poor substitute for the real thing) sounds like melodrama, but there's nothing melodramatic about this book. The writing is absolutely first-class, the characters so lovingly and realistically drawn that any pathos is both understandable and authentic. Ms. MacNicol has really gotten inside the mind and soul of an abuse survivor, and beautifully evokes his emergence from the depths of despair.

    As I said, it's not an easy read. The abuse the young Nick suffered will break your heart. His progress comes in fits and starts, interrupted by anger and self-loathing, though less and less, as the relationship between the two men grows.

    When all is said and done, this is a beautifully written, important book about survivors and survival. It will warm your heart and leave you with hope.

    Do not miss this one. It's a gem.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Smitten with Reading
    4.0 out of 5 stars B+ rating....
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    My Review:

    I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book just because, from the description, both heroes sounded so damaged. I like angst, but having TWO wounded heroes is tough. But the reviews for the book were all good, so I decided to give it a go.

    It was a good book and yes, both heroes are desperately wounded, but the author handled it well. The book has moments that are tough, but I didn't feel like it ever got too depressing or harsh. BOTH of these guys are emotionally fragile, but they prop each other up. They are both well aware how close the other guy was to ending it all and there's a certain strength they each gain from that. Knowing that someone else is watching and counting on them makes each of them stronger.

    This is Nick's home and he's definitely the most wounded of the two after years as a youth spent tortured and abused. He has issues...serious, deep issues, but overall, this is a guy coping with what life handed him pretty well. And life has really not been very kind to him....until Owen washes up on his beach. Besides his adopted father Don, this is his first break that life has handed him.

    Two years ago, Owen's partner died. He has never recovered, but he has a connection, a shared pain, with Nick....and then it begins to morph into more as they discover their sexual chemistry and eventual friendship. This guy has the patience of a saint, but he seems to understand Nick and what Nick needs. He doesn't handle Nick with pity or loathing like so many before. He sees what Nick's gone through with compassion and admires the man he's become despite the pain. The two of them together are good... most the time.

    Like I said, this is a complex book and the author handled the psychology of it all very well. She didn't sugarcoat Nick's issues nor did he have a miraculous recovery brought on by love. What she did with that aspect of the story felt real, both the up's and the down's of it.

    It's an interesting love story and certainly not the norm. Most love stories don't begin with joint attempts at suicide, but it works. I certainly wouldn't want to read a book like this every day because it does have heavy overtones, but it was nice to delve into the angst for a break after all the sugary sweetness of my Christmas reading list.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Tracy Shayler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner!!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is not the first book I have read by Susan Mac Nicol and have to say I really do enjoy her style of writing!
    Worth Keeping is another 5 star book that will grab your attention from the first page and keep your senses on high alert till the end. The story line although emotional and sad in places gave me lots to think about. The Two main characters are both trying to cope with past issues and you find yourself wondering if the scars are too deep for them to ever actually get past. It certainly made me realise that no matter what demons a person is dealing with there's always hope they can eventually be put to rest. I found during the second half of this book I could feel the suspense growing and was waiting and wondering what was going to happen next. This author manages to write in a way that the book is so easy to read yet still deals with intense emotional issues... I had to keep telling my self that I was actually reading fiction.
    The characters were believable, the story very addictive so this is a must read for anyone that enjoy' s m/m books with a good romance. But be prepared it's not all plain sailing!
    Highly recommended!!
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  • S Veldhuis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hard but some beautiful moments
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on September 19, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    4.5 stars. I hadn't read this for quite some time and long before I started writing reviews so I was happy to have the chance for a reread. This is a good double hurt/comfort, and while including a whole lot of awful past events has quite a few humorous moments too. It felt really odd that Owen changed from suicidal to not so quickly and the story would have done just as well without Brad. There were some absolutely beautiful phrases in there which still stuck with me and were one of the main reasons I loved this book and added the extra star.
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  • Alice
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth is the word
    Reviewed in Italy on March 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The scenarios make the difference here. Not only naturalistic ones, but also psychological ones. Strong topics treated with grace and delicacy.
    I can't and won't add anything to the plot described, not because of the spoilers but because this is an experience to do in the dark, because it's really worth it. In the first instance, I chose this novel because of the promise of a good dose of angst, but what I found was much more, to the point that I can say, without fear of being denied, that if the book had another 100 pages it would have been an added value.
    A great job. Recommended.
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  • Sue
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible m/m redemptive romance
    Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Sometimes I just wish I had an extra star button to push in cases like this when a book just hits you so hard because it is so great. This is a real redemptive romance with two men who are wounded in different ways coming together to help each other. Susan Mac Nicol has obviously done a terrific amount of research both to create an amazing setting for this story and to understand all of the characters, both good and bad, and the motivations behind the ways they behave. There are very dark parts to this story as she delves into some of the most awful things that humans do but there is also the light that people can bring to each other and the redemptive power of love in its many forms.
    It seems funny to put an emphasis on this but the pacing of this book is amazing. When you are writing a book about such a heavy topic it is a real challenge to balance all the sad/happy/heavy/ laughable/bad/good parts and Ms. Mac Nicol does a spectacular job. From the world building, the pacing, the characters and even the atmospheric weather this story is pitch perfect.
    If you think you can handle the bad parts this has to be one of the best books that I have read this year. I recommend this book highly.

    I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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  • Wildheart
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read, But A Bit Like Soft Porn With A Good Plot.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 9, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this.

    Having avoided gay fiction for a number of years, I felt the urge to dive back in and read some and see if there was any improvement over some of the stuff I'd read over the years and, as this was going cheap, decided to give it a shot.

    I'm glad I did, it's an interesting read, even though it's pretty telegraphed as to what's going to happen and how it's going to turn out.

    The real gripe I have with it and with another book I've just downloaded by the same author is the apparent lack of any gay characters who seem to be just average blokes.

    So far as I've read, all of her gay characters seem to be beautifully built and gorgeous and always "at the ready," so to speak.
    There are endless descriptions of what they "get up to," to the point where I think it interferes with the development of the plot.
    It would be nice to read a book where Mr average appears from time to time.

    Also, what is this obsession with long thick manes of hair?
    From my experience it's not a thing I've observed on the gay scene, where a preference for short, if not cropped hair seems to be the "norm," whereas a number of Ms Nicol's characters seem to have long flowing locks..but then, perhaps, that's her fantasy of the ideal man, it's certainly not mine! :O)

    That said, I'd certainly recommend giving her books a shot, they're a great leap forward from the sort of depressing stuff one used to read, where the only ending was the inevitable death of the main character..
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