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Featured Story: Team Building

Renee Stevens

Entry posted by Renee Stevens in Featured Stories

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It's the start of a new week, which means it's time to take a look at another story that can be found on the site. This week, we're taking a look at Team Building by EBWilson. Thank you to Timothy for this review. If you'd like to review one of your favorite stories on site, then send me a PM!

 


by


 

Reviewed By: Timothy M.


Status: Complete


Word Count: 241,035

 

You know those good-looking, conceited, clever, shallow yuppies we all love to hate when they breeze into our lives and either ignore us or take our attraction and admiration for granted. If you read Team Building you’ll meet a prime specimen in the shape of Neil who drives his boss at the bank, as well as us readers, crazy with his self-assured, flippant and egoistic behavior. But it’s also funny to be privy to his disparaging and brutally honest evaluation of himself and people around him.

 

Neil starts out perfectly happy with his lonely, but money-and-sex-filled existence. However, the story description ‘What happens when a pathologically single guy meets the man of his dreams?’ makes it clear that he’s in for a major wake-up call when he encounters hunky, handsome Kevin whose life style couldn’t be more different to Neil’s. Not to mention the fact the rugged Scot is the father of a precocious six-year-old girl. At first, there are no indications Neil and Kevin could ever become seriously attracted to each other, in fact I spent a lot of time laughing about their initial disastrous clash featuring a luggage cart. But this is only the beginning of a long torturous path filled with obstacles.

 

However, Neil’s boss is determined to make him into a team player and forces him to attend a team building course featuring Kevin as one of the instructors. But Neil also meets several other people who have crucial roles to play in the slow maturing process we witness as the story unfolds. I think every single reader managed to have a :wub: crush on Peter, but I can’t tell you why without spoiling the story. There were several unexpected developments, some of which scared me and made me :o:pinch:

 

Ted (EBWilson) is a master of cliff hangers and plot twists, and Team Building has more embarrassing ‘bad timing’ moments than any other story I can recall reading on GA. But no matter how much hair tearing and swearing the story caused, we kept hoping (and begging) for a happy end. Because that’s another of Ted’s admirable skills as an author: He manages to make us feel sympathy and understanding for Neil, even when he’s at his worst or in denial. In fact, ‘denial’ may be the main thing Neil and Kevin ‘Bloody’ Ross have in common. :facepalm::fight:

 

Get on the Team Building train, I promise you won’t regret it, it’s frustratingly fun. :lol: And don’t forget to pay a visit to the story discussion forum (beware spoilers) to join the Peter :wub: fan club, the Neil :no: shakers, or the :angry: Ross Ranters. Ted will love to hear what you think of his story – and so would I.

 

Category: Fiction Genres: Comedy, Romance Tags: Young Adult, Workplace, Anal, BDSM, Casual, Oral Rating: Mature

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27 Comments

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Ron

Ron 6,104

Posted

Nice review, Tim. I think you have captured quite a bit about what makes this story such an interest keeping and entertaining read. I know I looked forward to getting the notification for each new chapter as the story was being written. This story is one of those I would like to have on my Kindle. (Hint-Hint)

  • Like 2
Puppilull

Puppilull 18,786

Posted

Peter... Sigh... Although, I was kind of smitten by KBR too.

 

Good review, Tim! Hope more people read this great story!

  • Like 4
Mikiesboy

Mikiesboy 143,868

Posted

Ok Tim. I'll have a read.

  • Like 2
  • Site Administrator
Valkyrie

Valkyrie 109,915

Posted

  • Site Administrator

Great review, Tim!  I absolutely loved this story.  It's one of my favorites on this site.  Well worth the read :)

  • Like 3
glitteryantlers

glitteryantlers 3,077

Posted

I loved the plot and the characters, I should read it again sometime!

  • Like 3
Timothy M.

Timothy M. 50,192

Posted

Peter... Sigh... Although, I was kind of smitten by KBR too. Good review, Tim! Hope more people read this great story!

 

LOL, I know you were an early member of the Peter :wub: club. I'm glad you liked the review and I've already caught one new reader. :D

 

Ok Tim. I'll have a read.

  • Like 3
Headstall

Headstall 306,107

Posted

Great review, Tim... Another one to add to the list... it sounds interesting...

  • Like 1
Lisa

Lisa 6,470

Posted

Another awesome review, Tim! They should start paying you for this! :lmao:

 

Team Building was a terrific story that had me captivated from the start. I highly recommend reading this story if you haven't already. :)

  • Like 3
  • Site Moderator
Reader1810

Reader1810 52,129

Posted

  • Site Moderator

I was waiting for this story to be complete before reading it. I guess my wait is over... :D

 

Oh! Great review by the way. :)

  • Like 2
Drew Espinosa

Drew Espinosa 143,137

Posted

Awesome review Tim! I remember reading the first several chapters before I became too busy to read it. But from what I have read, it is a fantastic story! :D

  • Like 3
Timothy M.

Timothy M. 50,192

Posted

Another awesome review, Tim! They should start paying you for this! :lmao:

 

LOL, yeah, how about some more likes. :yes:  have a :heart: while you wait.

but my payment is actually all these nice comments. :D

  • Like 3
jagboi

jagboi 282

Posted

I loved the story, well written and realistic. Mr Wilson has spent the time getting the details right to make it believable. And yes, Peter is a great man.

  • Like 3
Lisa

Lisa 6,470

Posted

LOL, yeah, how about some more likes. :yes:  have a :heart: while you wait.

but my payment is actually all these nice comments. :D

Ah, so THAT'S why you love reviewing stories -- you up your rep points!!!! :D lol I see how it is now, Tim. :P

  • Like 3
Defiance19

Defiance19 28,484

Posted

Great review Tim.. This is truly a fantastic story, and one of the few I've read twice... Everyone should give it a read or add it to their list! 

  • Like 3
spike382

spike382 51,198

Posted

This was a great review and I also strongly recommend this story. One of my favorites of last year. San is an awesome writer, hope will get to see more of his stuff soon.

  • Like 2
Mikiesboy

Mikiesboy 143,868

Posted

LOL, I know you were an early member of the Peter :wub: club. I'm glad you liked the review and I've already caught one new reader. :D

 

Caught hmm? LOL Okay :)

  • Like 2
LitLover

LitLover 66,966

Posted

Great review, Tim!  This was one of my favourite stories.  I loved Peter :wub:  Seriously, what wasn't to love??  And ranting about KbR was one of our favourite pastimes :lol:  I It's a story on my 'read again soon' list.  

  • Like 2
Mikiesboy

Mikiesboy 143,868

Posted

Okay ... i have 3 chapters left to read.. Wonderful story.. laugh, cry, shout, throttle people... just terrific.

  • Like 3
Puppilull

Puppilull 18,786

Posted

Okay ... i have 3 chapters left to read.. Wonderful story.. laugh, cry, shout, throttle people... just terrific.

 

Sounds like you're having the full Nievin experience! LOL

  • Like 3
Timothy M.

Timothy M. 50,192

Posted

Ah, so THAT'S why you love reviewing stories -- you up your rep points!!!! :D lol I see how it is now, Tim. :P

 

Umm, no, you've got it quite wrong, Lisa. I don't get any rep points for the review itself, Renee gets those. I need likes to GIVE to the comments left on the review, and those comments are MY reward. Of course, if anyone likes the comments I leave here, then I get those rep points. ;)

  • Like 4
spike382

spike382 51,198

Posted

Also my above post should have been "EB" not "San" but my iPhone decided it was smarter than me again.

Caz Pedroso

Caz Pedroso 45,821

Posted

I don't follow many in progress stories, but this one got me hooked. I always kept an eye out for updates and read them asap. I almost didn't want it to end. :) 

 

Brilliant story Ted + Wonderful review Tim = a must read :read:;)

  • Like 4
Lisa

Lisa 6,470

Posted

Umm, no, you've got it quite wrong, Lisa. I don't get any rep points for the review itself, Renee gets those. I need likes to GIVE to the comments left on the review, and those comments are MY reward. Of course, if anyone likes the comments I leave here, then I get those rep points. ;)

That's what I meant! lol You get all the rep points after people thank you or comment about your review. Then you quote them, and people 'like' it. Right? lol

I knew you didn't get rep points from writing the review itself. :)

  • Like 1
Former Member

Former Member 5,625

Posted

Dear Tim,

 

Thank you so much.

 

I feel completely embarrassed but secretly happy as a result of your very generous and sympathetic review of my halting attempts at writing fiction. I think it was Alexander Dumas who read his own novel "The Count of Monte Christo" and announced that it was 'very good'.* Like him, I spent an afternoon recently re-reading "Team Building" and while the poor grammar and various typos made me grimace, I actually did enjoy the story. It makes me realise the severe deficiencies in my other attempts at fiction.

 

The other thing Tim's review made me realise is how I miss all the guys and gals who contacted me in the forum and elsewhere to express their views about Neil, Peter and Kevin. I miss you all. 

 

Unfortunately I am sooo busy right now at university and am struggling to do my academic writing let alone devote time to the unfinished stories. For the moment, while I struggle with Ashurbanipal and the collapse of the neo-Assyrian empire, and think about political transitions in the polis in archaic Greece, Lane will have to deal with his conflicting feelings for young Stuart and one-legged Lawrence in "Ben or Iain?"on his own while Tom continues to bore the pants off Matt on the Qantas flight by telling him what happened in Swan Hill in Australia in 1967 between him and Gary.

 

I have nearly finished chapter two of "Kakadu" but suddenly realised that it's much too close to the plot of one of my earlier stories. Sigh! Back to the drawing board I guess.

 

All of this is a way of telling you all that I do intend to finish these other stories (really! I do!) The major problem is fitting it into the scant 168 hours that I have in each week. I do occasionally log in to Gay Authors just to see what's been going down but until I got a message from Tim pointing me to his review I had avoided commenting or contacting people. I still have a whole sheaf of reviews to reply to and I will make a concerted effort to do so.

 

Thanks to you all and especially Tim. :)

 

EB (Ted) Wilson

London 

 

* I think it was Dumas but it could have Cervantes and "Don Quixote". (I'm sure that someone will correct me!)

Former Member

Former Member 5,625

Posted

Sounds like you're having the full Nievin experience! LOL

"Neivin" - I like it!

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