All Comments on 'An Unexpected Reaction'

Loved the story, loved the characters and loved the ending, if you EVER! Thanks for sharing..

The title mirrors my thoughts as I read. Wasn't a huge fan of the beginning thinking it was your typical BTB but you grabbed me in the second half. A little bit Disney but who doesn't like a Pixar movie. 5*

Thanks, qhml1. First, this story got a good, solid 5* from me. I would give more if I could. I had all but given up on this site a week or two ago, ironically I gave it up coinciding with riding season. For some reason, I decided to open this story, I enjoyed how his bike was involved in the story. And really pleased when it was a big Star cruiser. qhml1 even got some subtle biker social dynamic correct. (American versus Metric) that often comes up. It had to come from experience. Mine is a Stratoliner, and the big pushrod Star's are in a class of their own. The story line was excellent, and some guys actually do make a clean cut from someone who cheats. Me included. The story could have been two chapters very easily, but I appreciate that it is one. The otherwise very good stories that have a month or several between chapters are hard to read, follow and appreciate sometimes. The pain of betrayal is one thing, but when trust is destroyed, there is no reason to continue. this was very skillfully illustrated. And, in some cases, you can't trust friends who are involved. I put around 10k to 15k miles on bike in a season, but between rides I'll be reading your earlier stories and looking for new ones. By the way, my life partner, who rescued me from a similar caustic relationship as this story, bought me the Stratoliner after I wore out a GoldWing to the tune of several hundred thousand miles. She would do anything for me, and I would do anything for her. Some of these storylines are pretty realistic.

Refreshing not to have a gay husband in a loving wife story. Loved it keep them coming.

This is how a story should be done. "BRAVO, BRAVO"! (5*****)'s

First off, let me say that this one is an instant classic! Now that that's out of the way, how is his reaction "unexpected", unless everyone thought he had no self-respect? It seemed that every single one of his "friends" thought he had the self-esteem of a snail, if they thought he would just put up with his cheating wife and take her back. Yeah, no. The fact that his "best friend" and business partner, and then his friend's wife, as well as most of his other so-called "friends" thought he had no self-respect either, just tells me that nobody knew him as well as they thought.

He acted as any real man would, in that situation. GTFO that marriage, get rid of the backstabbing "friends", and get on with life. I like his "revenge" on the asshole, too. As Okeer once said: "The greatest insult an enemy can suffer, is to be ignored."

5 HUGE Stars, and I'd give more if I could.

Helluva great story!

Had my attention from beginning to end.

Solid 5*

Thx!!!

I did feel it wandered a bit here and there. The writing was very good most of the time, but there were more than a few odd errors. I know how they happen and how the writer does not see them. He sees what he wanted to write and not what he actually wrote. I feel it should have been condensed, and there was very little conflict in the last two-thirds of the story. That made the ending a bit obvious. A nice story and I'll always read anything I see by a writer with a Q in his/her penname.

It makes for a better -- if longer -- read, IMO.

Thanks for a nice story, you sure are one of my fovorite authors!!

Well written, well plotted, interesting characters and a very satisfying ending. 5*

Another great story with lots of nice twists and turns. To me it seems that it had been a while since the last posting but it was worth the wait. Well actually I would love something new everyday but realize that is not possible.

If you just came across this author check out his other work, I have loved them all and have read most more than twice.

A wonderful story that was very well written. The characters were very engaging.

A great read. I emjoyed it, thank you. But a Dodge Dart doing 180? Yeah no.

Thanks for sharing.

...every now and then I get hold of a story that holds a grip on me until I am through with it.

This story is one of those. I enjoyed every minute. You have got a great talent and it is good to see you are using it.

Of course: 5*

Great story - worthy of Hall of Fame group

I was happy to have the whole story in one sitting. A fun read and a happy ending. Intriguing characters, compelling plot and an angry man becoming a content man with a strong, good woman. Whats not to love?

Typos and whatnot aside (not enough of them to really detract for me) it left me with a smile on my face. Thanks!

This was a really good story. Did I say it was really good, hope so, because it was really good!

Or at least, be verry, verry, careful.

Like LSD, I also know some street kids - arguably, I was one myself.

It is dangerous to get involved with them. People have been killed. Not that helping people is bad, but the negatives, and difficulties, are not gone into at all in this piece.

Other than that - a sweet tale. Not sure the inter-story linkage improved the narrative (MMA meets MBA, if you missed it). Not a lot of change in the protagonist - the second chance woman was the one with the transformation, but without a narrative voice, it didn't take center stage. The heavy didn't change at all.

The investigation of what ones' friends owe one, in relationship problems, seems to me simplistic. Not sticking your hands into a hornets' nest is understandable. Facilitating adultery is kinda over the top, but then again you have to ask is it if the adulterer is being beaten at home? Not a simple situation, in my estimation.

Thanks for the work -

Green-something

(let's see - if you get either DQS1 or Rehnquist to do any writing for Lit in any forum, I will nominate you for demigod status... just sayin')

Whenever I see your name attached to a story I think about waiting to read it... for a second or two. Your stories are always a treat to read.

Five stars.

(You got a little sloppy with the typos about midway on.)

Once again, you've written a masterpiece. I love the way you can project the characters in your stories and how you paint the tapestry of the plot. You set a very high bar for the rest of us to try to meet. Once again, congratulations.

The author's postscript nailed it. This should have been a two-parter. This had a real chop-shop feel like a vehicle assembled 50:50 from Corvette and Mustang parts. There was a melange of interesting concepts that never jelled as a cohesive whole.

I liked the idea of friends covering up for one of their friend's affairs and then them getting ruinous fallout upon discovery. Becky's affair sort of needed a rationale in terms of WTF was she thinking? The street urchin morphing to wife was another idea that threw off sparks, but never grabbed me. I've known some IRL and it would take a combination of Ghandi and St, Francis to peel away the layers of dysfunction.

I do admire Don qhml1 for tilting his pen and charging these tantalizing themes but collectively they spun in circle too quickly to be properly harnessed. Based on his resume, however, tthere's a high likelihood of success next time out. The high percentage of hot ratings show that this author is no literary donkey.