Recommendations

[Jeremie]

Hello,

Not complaining---but I am a bit disoriented by how most stories do not even come with a one line summary to give any indication of what it's like ... I'm about to leave for a long vacation (voluntarily) computer-less, and so I am trying to save offline a few stories.

I liked both novels by D. Ryder, and I guess that what I'm looking for is ... romances with a feel good ending? which are not slapstick or bordering on obvious... (and set at college is big plus).

Many thanks for your help...

(And I apologize if this sort of topic is not allowed in this forum.)

[Graeme]

This sort of post is definitely allowed :)

There are a lot of stories that meet your requirements. Going through the Best of Nifty list and checking the stories that I've personally read, I would suggest:

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/beginnings/copier-guy/

http://nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/desert-dropping/

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/college/educating-alex/

http://awesomedude.com/graeme/HOTT/index.htm

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/relationships/jakes-hand/

http://awesomedude.com/josh/tlot/index.htm

http://awesomedude.com/elecivil/leaves_and_lunatics/

http://crvboy.org/stories/sarabell/tmiyt/c01.html

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/...-figures-it-out

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/new-to-this-state/

http://crvboy.org/stories/crvboy/s/c01.html

http://awesomedude.com/nicknurse/tristans_redemption/

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/college/working-it-out

There are also many other stories that I've really enjoyed, but I'm not absolutely sure meet your requirements.

[Trab]

I'd suggest these:

http://www.codeysworld.com/codey/from-the-heart/index.htm

http://www.codeysworld.com/cole-parker/sho...ge/courage.html

A lot of the stories at CW have a short synopsis

http://www.codeysworld.com/stories.html

I also think you can't really go wrong with any of the Ronyx stories either.

http://www.themustardjar.com/

And Grasshopper is awesome, although some are dark, fortunately with nice endings, for the most part.

http://www.iomfats.org/storyshelf/hosted/grasshopper/

I guess the only issue is that some of these may be a bit younger than college.

[Cole Parker]

I'm a great fan of Douglas, an AD writer who has few equals. Here's Looking at You, Kid is a romance with the protagonist a UC-Berekely student.

Doug's Gang of Five is great, too, but it's HS kids rather than college students.

You can't go wrong with either.

C

[Jeremie]

Oh dear!

Thank you all for those recommendations :-)

I'm currently combing my way through those suggestions (and converting them for my ebook reader, which is a painful process, ...)

Quick question, as I have the author at hand (yes, Graeme, don't think I didn't notice you slipping one of your stories ), what is this one about:

http://awesomedude.com/graeme/HOTT/index.htm

[Graeme]

Quick question, as I have the author at hand (yes, Graeme, don't think I didn't notice you slipping one of your stories ), what is this one about:

http://awesomedude.com/graeme/HOTT/index.htm

LOL -- Caught!

It's a story set in country New South Wales (Australia). A group of friends who have just finished high school have a mystery to solve. After that, it moves into a more romance-style story. The background of the story is, I'll admit, a little farfetched, but everything from that point on flows (hopefully) naturally.

The background is pretty much covered by the prologue of the story:

The Tree was old. It had watched over many generations of local inhabitants. Settlers moving west from Sydney, recognising that the area was suitable for farming, had formed the small township of Mourton around The Tree. Even then, the residents recognised something special in The Tree and preserved the land around it as a park. Their discovery of land nearby that was suitable for grapes assured the prosperity of the town.

The children enjoyed clambering through the gnarled roots, up between the multiple, twisted trunks, and along the huge, curving branches. The middle of The Tree, between those trunks, was a safe haven, a fort, the room at the top of an enchanted tower, the meeting place of a secret society, the cabin of a sailing ship, or the centre of a wild forest ? whatever the children imagined. Without knowing it, The Tree became a part-time babysitter, as it entertained the youngsters while their parents performed their strange adult rituals.

An educated man once declared The Tree to be a magnificent specimen of Ficus Macrophylla ? a Moreton Bay Fig Tree. That name said so much about The Tree, but left so much more unstated.

Young lovers enjoyed the cool shade the spreading canopy provided. Many a tryst took place under the protection of The Tree.

Slowly, a legend grew.

Vows of love taken within the cover of The Tree were true and binding. The Tree was given the appellation ?The Lovers? Tree?, though most locals would shorten that to ?The Tree?. Many a wedding was held under those leaves, and the district enjoyed the lowest divorce rate in the country.

The story is still told of a young man, hormones running wild, professing his love to the latest target of his lust, only for the purpose of gaining the momentary pleasure he sought. He?d done that before, but never under The Tree. It was the last conquest he ever made; no other girl would have him from that time on.

The townsfolk loved their tree and protected it to the best of their ability.

Three times, though, that protection wasn?t enough.

Three times, The Tree started to die.

Three times, a young maiden, despairing of ever finding love, found her beau in a stranger to the town.

Three times, a wedding was held under the canopy of the dying Tree.

Three times, The Tree recovered.

Three times, a young maiden was given the sobriquet of Heart of The Tree.

The last time had been just after World War II. Since then, The Tree had faithfully cared for the children, protected the young lovers, and comforted the older couples.

One night in late November, a drifter came into town. Filled with a sickness in his heart, he lay down beneath the tree and fell asleep.

He never woke up.

The sickness in his heart, though, spread to the tree.

The fourth time had arrived.

[Bruin Fisher]

If you want a (relatively) unbiased comment on Graeme's story, Jeremie, I can tell you I've read it and it's SPELLBINDING.

A fantastic saga with a broad scope and an attractive storyline, sympathetic characters and a big dose of feelgood factor. Wonderful. You'll like it.

[TracyMN]

http:/www.nifty.org/gay/relationships/stonegatestables

http:/www.crvboy.org/stories/gabrielmorgan/52p/c01.html

And I second the wonderful suggestions already mentioned, with Cole's "Courage" and "Jakes Hand" (which has a partner story

or alternate view if I am not mistaken) at the top of my list.

I used to keep a log of the storries I was reading on Nifty, when that was the only place I knew.

It was not easy keeping track of updates that were sporadic and across such a vast ocean. It's

a pleasure to be reminded of some of them when there are threads like this one, so thanks, Jeremie,

for bringing us back to what were many hours spent remembering how human we all really are.

Tracy

[The Pecman]

...what I'm looking for is ... romances with a feel good ending? which are not slapstick or bordering on obvious...

You'll find some good lists from our regulars at this link:

http://www.awesomedude.com/adboard/index.php?showforum=16

Several of us showcase our "Best of Best of Nifty," citing stories that we liked, and providing the specific reasons why.