EUR 4.69

You will be charged GBP 4.08

Sold by Amazon Media EU S.à r.l..

You've subscribed to ! We will pre-order your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships and Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Image Unavailable
Image not available for
Colour:

Follow the author

Susan Mac Nicol

Worth Keeping Kindle Edition

by Susan Mac Nicol (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

(361)

See all formats and editions

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.

Print length

308 pages
Language

English
Accessibility

Learn more
Publication date

22 Dec. 2013
File size

472 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

See all details

Report an issue with this product

Doubting Hearts
Susan Mac Nicol

Kindle Edition
EUR2.86
Cover Me In Chocolate (Fetish Alley Book 3)
Susan Mac Nicol

Kindle Edition
EUR3.54
For Fox Sake (Fetish Alley Book 1)
Susan Mac Nicol

Kindle Edition
EUR2.61
Death By C*ck (Fetish Alley Book 2)
Susan Mac Nicol

Kindle Edition
EUR2.72
Damaged Goods (Men of London Book 7)
Susan Mac Nicol

Kindle Edition
EUR3.23
Love You Senseless (Men of London Book 1)
Susan Mac Nicol

Kindle Edition
EUR4.41

Product description

About the Author

Sue Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. At the age of eight, her family moved to Johannesburg, South Africa where she stayed for nearly thirty years before arriving back in the UK in December 2000. She has written nine novels, two novellas and a screenplay since February 2012 and clearly believes in keeping herself busy. She has found herself wanting to stay in the genre that is M/M Romance so more can definitely be expected. Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. She is also a member of a rather unique writing group, called the Talliston Writer’s Circle, which in itself has a story all of its own to tell and lives in the rural village of Bocking, in Essex, with her family. Her plan is to keep writing as long as her muse sits upon her shoulder. Her dream is to one day make enough money to give up the day job and get that big old house in the English countryside overlooking a river, where she can write all day and continue to indulge her passion for telling stories.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HGZE238
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boroughs Publishing Group
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 22 Dec. 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
Best Sellers Rank: 1,454,135 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 16,622 in Gay Fiction
- 117,239 in Contemporary Romance (Kindle Store)
- 135,755 in Contemporary Romance (Books)
Customer reviews:
(361)

About the author

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

Susan Mac Nicol

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

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.

Related books

Page 1 of 1Start again

Customer reviews

361 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the book fantastic and well-written, with an amazing story that deals with intense emotional issues. One customer notes how the author handles the subject matter effectively. Customers have mixed opinions about the character development, with some finding them believable while others disagree.

AI Generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

18 customers mention content, 15 positive, 3 negative

Customers find the book fantastic and interesting to read, with one customer noting how the author deals well with the subject matter, while another mentions it keeps senses on high alert.

...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....Read more

...Just a great book, I genuinely couldn't recommend all of Susan Mac Nicol's books enough!!!!Read more

...Definitely "Worth Keeping"... a must to read!!Read more

...really love the book, whilst I wouldn't use the word love it was a brilliant read, at times very moving, tense and uplifting....Read more

8 customers mention emotional, 8 positive, 0 negative

Customers appreciate how the book deals with intense emotional issues, finding it heartwarming, and one customer mentions it made them sigh in adoration for the protagonists.

...The backgrounds of the main characters was gripping and engaging - heart wrenching and heart warming. A fantastic book.Read more

...my fifth read of Susan's books and possibly my favourite... Just a touching story that had me needing to cool down as well!...Read more

...word love it was a brilliant read, at times very moving, tense and uplifting....Read more

This novel warmed my heart and made me sigh in adoration for the protagonists....Read more

8 customers mention writing style, 7 positive, 1 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as well written, with one customer noting it is thought-provoking.

...Its all so well written. Each and every time Nick breaks down, Owen picks him up. Nick pushes, Owen pushes back....Read more

t was okay but i didn't really love the characters. It was well written though....Read more

...I have read by Susan Mac Nicol and have to say I really do enjoy her style of writing!...Read more

...A component well written story and if it had reached me on a more soulful level or had set my pulse alight I would have definitely given it 5 stars....Read more

7 customers mention story, 6 positive, 1 negative

Customers enjoy the story of the book, with one describing it as heart rending and another noting they were hooked from the outset.

What an amazing story. So well written; beautiful setting and amazing characters....Read more

...It has its up and downs, but loved the whole story.Read more

...This was a heart rending story with the longed for HAE, a chance walk and the even smaller chance of meeting a suicidal young man and saving him,...Read more

I was hooked from the outset, Susan created characters that you are interested in and invested in from the start!...Read more

5 customers mention character development, 3 positive, 2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding them believable while others disagree.

...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....Read more

Characters not very believable, sex scenes unimaginative, Narrative too predictable. Couldn't wait for it to end....Read more

What an amazing story. So well written; beautiful setting and amazing characters....Read more

...book I've just downloaded by the same author is the apparent lack of any gay characters who seem to be just average blokes....Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Tracy Shayler
Another Winner!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 December 2013
Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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!!

Read more

Helpful

Report
Wildheart
Interesting Read, But A Bit Like Soft Porn With A Good Plot.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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..

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Debbie Attenborough
oh, just oh.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 February 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I bought this book because a friend recommended it, and I was suffering from a mahoosive hangover from a previous book. On reflection, its probably not the best book for a hangover cure, since now I;m doubly hungover!

While contemplating ending his own life, Nick saves Owens, and by extension, his own. But both Nick and Owen are carrying some pretty horrific emotional and physical scars. I'm talking heart breaking reading here, sobbing in your lunch break, red eyes all afternoon at work.

The way Owen reacts to and deals with Nick's ....can't think of the right word that fits so going with...issues is equally beautiful and painful. Its all so well written. Each and every time Nick breaks down, Owen picks him up. Nick pushes, Owen pushes back. That Don , Nick's dad, can see how good Owen is for Nick on thier first meeting is amazing. Owen just needs to make Nick see that he is worth keeping and worht loving.

There are some lighter moments along their journey. The smuggling of adult toys was hilarous, and the day is saved by a very cheeky little monkey called Socks.

Its told from both Nick and Owen's POV and as morbid as this may sound, we get some of Brad, Nick's ex, too. AND I LOVED that! I did. Its not often we get inot the minds of the bad guy, and I am so glad we did here.

The book does carry some difficult lines, abuse, rape and child sex rings. Some readers may find it difficult reading. The scene where Nick hurts himself, on purpose, was a little close to home, and so very sensitively written.

There has been a lot of research done by the author into the after effects of child abuse and how that carrys into adulthood, and it shows. IT SHINES thoughtout the book. It shows, that no matter how bad it was, it CAN get better.

5 stars.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Mrs P
Not as good as previous books
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 March 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
To start with, I can understand inventing a town or village for your characters, it goes with creative license, but moving a whole lighthouse (which does exist on the Norfolk coast) half a mile out to sea when its actually inland was pushing it. Also, whilst Nick' s background was fleshed out, I felt I knew hardly anything about Owen, let alone why he came to try and kill himself. I was disappointed with the book overall as it wasn't up to the standard of the previous ones, especially with a comic book villain.

Read more

Helpful

Report
Phase58
A definite keeper
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 August 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Five stars means you really love the book, whilst I wouldn't use the word love it was a brilliant read, at times very moving, tense and uplifting.
Abuse of any kind is hard for people like me from a happy stable background to understand - how someone is capable of such atrocities inflicted on a child is beyond me.
This was a heart rending story with the longed for HAE, a chance walk and the even smaller chance of meeting a suicidal young man and saving him, then the story unravels from there.
I think the author dealt with this subject really well, I read the note at the end and she did her research. Child abuse if horrific but it goes on as we well know from the current celebrity revelations. Hopefully there will be a time when its stamped out but unfortunately I don't think that will ever be the case.
Nick was and is worth keeping, Owen thought so and I do too - so is this book. It's made me want to read more of her work, plus she's a Yorkshire girl - there's none better LOL

Read more

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

S Veldhuis
Hard but some beautiful moments
Reviewed in the Netherlands on 19 September 2023
Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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.

Read more
Report
Alice
Worth is the word
Reviewed in Italy on 26 March 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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.

Read more
Report
Scooter
What a FANTASTIC Story
Reviewed in the United States on 18 February 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Do you believe in Fate or Divine Intervention, from the very beginning of this book you really want to believe in it for the sake of Nick and Owen. So what brings the fate of these two men together whom are both on the verge of death, one on the precipice of a cliff with arms outstretched and ready to fly the other washed up on the beach after jumping ship, both men wanting to end their personal despair. Nick spots Owen from his perch on the cliff and hurries to the shore, what he finds is a man still alive, he takes him back to his cottage. This sounds pretty dismal but what actually transpires is a beautifully written love story riddled with humor.
Nick had a childhood from Hell, prostituted out by his own Mother he never learned of love or trust. Rescued on his deathbed after being beaten and raped by his Mothers pimp he was dumped in a dark alley, his rescuer becomes his Adoptive Father. Owen had held his Love in his arms as he bled to death after being shot. Owen’s despair at losing his love and Nick’s compilation of being a sexual slave, raped and prostituted followed by an abusive relationship as an adult led them to the cliff and shore of Pebble Cove.
Enough of the dark, this isn’t what I found reading this book, like I said earlier this is about Love. This is about the compassion that Owen’s character gives Nick, sometimes with tough love and stubbornness. You will enjoy the humor given to us by Socks a monkey that is Nick’s pet, imagine what you can do with a monkey in your story line. The secondary characters and even the village all work so well. The Author does a brilliant job of transporting the reader to Pebble Cove, as we live the lives of Nick and Owen. You will also find some drama in the form of an obsession by a character from the past. As the story deals with the trauma that I explained earlier, remember this happened in the past and that is not what this story is about. It is used for the basis of how each character overcomes their despair and how it is used in building the relationship. Susan can take troubled characters and wind a story around them like no one else. I like that she gives us characters that have gone through something horrific and come out the other end better. You truly believe what the characters are going through, even the idiosyncrasies of sex are real for the situation.
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. If you are like me you will just have to shut the cover at the end of the read and take a deep breath. For Nick and Owen they are Worth Keeping.

Read more
Report
Sue
Incredible m/m redemptive romance
Reviewed in Canada on 9 July 2020
Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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.

Read more
Report
J. Faltys
Emotionally Intense With Compelling Characters
Reviewed in the United States on 30 January 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
As a fan of the m/m genre, and books that put you through the emotional wringer, I was immediately drawn to this story and its compelling characters. Upon turning the final page I found much to recommend it, as well as one or two quibbles, but will definitely read more from this author as she had a way of vividly depicting the small town world these characters inhabit which helped draw me in.

Nick had a terrible childhood of sexual abuse and betrayal by the one who should've protected him. It's left him scarred both inside and out, with nightmares that visit him often, and unrelenting self-hatred and grief that have him constantly contemplating suicide. One night has him finding a kindred soul washed up on the beach that changes his life completely and gives him the strength to fight for his soul. When the story starts Nick is a broken man living in seclusion from a psychotic ex-lover who used his past to control him. Being with a man who truly listens and cares for him has him slowly coming back to life. He starts seeing the good things in life, learns the value of trust, and becomes a stronger more confident man who can save himself when the past comes back to haunt him.

Owen too has been struggling with his past when he decides to end it all. Fate has different plans though when he's rescued by Nick who ends up rescuing him right back by giving him a reason to move forward. Owen's grief never felt as deep as Nick's as he hid behind a facade of humor and snarkiness. He accepted Nick unconditionally and never rushed him to do more or be more than he could handle. He ingratiated himself into Nick's life being the supportive lover but I didn't see as compelling of an evolution as I saw in Nick. His past didn't make him who he is, it was more a brief visit to the dark side.

From start to finish this was an intensely sexual read where sexual healing occurred through the many hot and heavy sexual encounters between Nick and Owen. The scenes took on a more erotic and playful feel the more Nick worked through his past. Along with a complicated yet appealing main couple came a cast of secondary characters, among them another gay couple Nick's adoptive father Don and a cute Capuchin monkey, that overwhelmed the story at times and made for a bit of a lag in the middle of the story. Another disappointing part of the story was the reappearance of Nick's abusive ex Brad who was truly psycho and blazed a path of vile destruction throughout the book and whose comeuppance wasn't near satisfying enough. Ultimately I wish this story had stayed focused on Nick and Owen and their mutual recovery and the shared happiness they found in each other's arms. Their story was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting and leaves me wanting to read more from this author.

Read more
Report

Buy for others

How it works

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Image Unavailable

Follow the author

Worth Keeping Kindle Edition

Popular titles by this author

Product description

About the Author

Product details

About the author

Susan Mac Nicol

Related books

Customer reviews

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read, But A Bit Like Soft Porn With A Good Plot.

5.0 out of 5 stars oh, just oh.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as previous books

5.0 out of 5 stars A definite keeper

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard but some beautiful moments

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth is the word

5.0 out of 5 stars What a FANTASTIC Story

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible m/m redemptive romance

4.0 out of 5 stars Emotionally Intense With Compelling Characters

Report an issue

Amazon Music

AbeBooks

ACX

Veeqo

Amazon Web Services

Audible

Goodreads

Amazon Home Services

IMDb

Kindle Direct Publishing

Shopbop

Amazon Resale

Amazon Business

Another Winner!!

Interesting Read, But A Bit Like Soft Porn With A Good Plot.

oh, just oh.

Not as good as previous books

A definite keeper

Hard but some beautiful moments

Worth is the word

What a FANTASTIC Story

Incredible m/m redemptive romance

Emotionally Intense With Compelling Characters