What is your opinion?
Dude Smith
"Very good story, I enjoyed it very much! You are a very good writer!"
One Man's Journey Into Daylight
"Dude Smith has had everything in life given to him on a silver platter. So losing Lucy, the woman most important to him was more difficult than for those used to loss. Learning lessons doesn't come easy for Dude, continuing down the same path by losing Kay, due to more of his own mistakes and missteps. To overcome his darker persona, Dude must leave himself in the past, and become Darren, the personification of everything better. Can he accomplish this feat in time to save his own soul? When he finally pulls it all together, he may find things get much more complicated than he expects. Find out the entirety of Dude’s journey to himself with interesting multiple first-person narratives and detailed dialog, written in an easy-to-read style that will be familiar to anyone who lives a hardscrabble, gritty existence, no matter their socioeconomic background."
Excellent Read
"I began this book off of a recommendation. I don’t normally read romance novels, but I wanted to give this one a try and it was definitely worth it. Unlike most other romance novels where the reader is introduced to the two main love interests and can easily tell which way the story is going to unfold with Dude that is not the case. Like I said, the characters in Dude are nothing like what I expected from a romance novel. They are flawed and their mistakes cause huge problems in their relationships. That said, the choices they make are still very realistic and reflect what a real life relationship might be like over a group of individual’s lifetimes. The plot is straight forward, but very well executed. Guy meets girl and they began a relationship with several ups and downs. It’s the ups and downs however that carry the story. I can’t go into to many details because of spoilers, but they will keep a reader hooked from the get go. The setting is probably the weakest point, but that’s only because it’s not entirely important. There is enough in there for the reader to have a vivid image of what is around the characters, but since the focus of the story is on the characters there isn’t much done with the world around them. It’s not a bad thing, just not the strongest point in the story. Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a gritty romance with a sense of realism or a romance that doesn't adhere to the typical tropes seen in most other romance novels. While I was reading it, I was reminded of Anna Karenina if anyone has read that. It’s not the exact same story, but it felt the same in a lot of regards. "
Read it!!!!
"Born into money, Darren Smith doesn't hear the word no often and when he does, Murder & Mayhem follow.. Fortunately for him and others around him life deals a few harsh blows to remind him of his humanity. Enter our titular character, who has all the makings of a player;rich, suave and handsome. This man can usually get any woman he wants and he takes full advantage.. Until he meets one special lady, the only problem is that he doesn't know how to keep her. This book is a very dark romance it's filled with things like homicide, obsession, lust and possession. A fantastic read if the aforementioned are up your alley. One question you might find yourself asking quite often is: Will Dude ever learn? The answer:Read on to find out. "
Lovely
"Although I am not typically the type who sits and reads a pure romance novel for the sake of reading, I was pleasantly entertained within the subtly dark nuances of DUDE SMITH. The authoress has a.profoundly perfect understanding of grammar, sentence structure, and composition and is uniquely qualified in this day and age to be called an Author. The understand of story and character development allowed Ms. Bass to create a world wholly believable. Were I to have any complaint, and this is just nit-picking, it would be simply that the story seemed to stall now an then, but then life does that too. I believe you have a winner here."
Epic Romance Saga
"This is definitely not your average romance novel. It got me in early and kept a firm hold all the way through. I loved how I never saw it coming, each decision or action and the consequences that followed. This book twisted and turned at ever chapter. Yes it was a little dark but it also had light moments too. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to all who like a different take on romance and love."
Different
"I really enjoyed reading this book. The author has lots to choose from, so I chose this one. Darren “Dude” Smith is a very complicated character who knows what he wants, but just doesn’t know how to go about getting it. Her name is Kay. Throughout this book, you can tell that Kay and Darren are in love, but it is just Darren’s alter ego, Dude, that is constantly getting In the way. I liked the fact that the main character was a man. Darren is wealthy, and very selfish. You like him one minute and the next you want to wring his neck. I liked that. I never knew what was going to happen next. The other supporting characters could be fleshed out a little more, but that is my own opinion. Kay was cool, but she had her own issues at some points, and I wanted to slap her too. The punctuation and grammar was very good, though there are some places were the POV was confusing, and there was a missed period or two. But over all a very good read."
Dude Smith
"This is a story of a man in search of his one true love. In this journey he overcomes great pain and heartaches. Dude impressed me from the start to the end. His characterization was fascinating. An alpha male, rich, handsome, sexy and a woman-eater! Despite loving various women simultaneously, he was still searching for that true love. Having said that, his carnal desires were insatiable. His differing personas as Dude and Darren makes him highly complicated. I could love and hate him at the same time. But I loved the way he treats his lovers with compassion and takes the responsibility of his sons. Dude is an irresistible young man and has a way with women. The relationship between Kay and Jacob was also well drawn up. I kept turning the pages wondering how it would end. My heart was in my mouth toward the end of the story. Dude was certainly going haywire and the ending was a thriller indeed. I would like to recommend this romantic drama to all who loves an intriguing story."
Perhaps he's going to kill me.
"I had to laugh at that, what a bad ass 'oh you know he might kill me' nonchalance is excellent haha. Not a fan of romance at all but there's not a lot to hate in this honestly. Not the typical romance, not too much sappiness so far, no elaborate cringey sex scenes just yet. My first impressions are good, it's well written the characters are sort of boyish and curious and believable with a woman that seems more experienced. It's written in a very casual way. I don't feel like there's a lot of spoon feeding going, it seems to flow well. The thread of plot is decent, it's been done before but there's room to subvert it. The main character is in love with someone involved in a dangerous crowd and has to overcome physical danger to be with the woman he loves. It's a story as old as time, Romeo and Juliet to name the most famous example. But it's sort of timeless really, people will do anything for love, including risk their own lives. After all what's the point of living without love anyway?"
Dude Smith
"There are your light hearted romance novels, graphic sex romance novels, and then there is Dude Smith, a tough love romance novel. Its plot designed to keep you off balance and guessing wrong to all of the characters decisions. You need a scorecard to keep up with who is Dude sleeping with and who is the father to which child. If you ever want to know how it feels to be shot with a pistol, this is your book. With many unsuspecting storylines, I found this book very enjoyable."
Dramatic Love
"This book was a story with a refreshing POV and twists and turns, which were realistic to the characters. Though not what I usually read, it was a great read and I actually enjoyed it very much! I found it interesting the way Darren changed, they way people impacted his life, and the way Dude didn't seem to be able to restrain himself. I haven't read the ending, and in a way I both anticipate and fear it, because I want both Celiene and Kay to be happy- they're both such nice characters. Maybe Celiene will be together with Mr. Long? Also, it was amazing how you made the characters so realistic and consistent. Your only problem was the occasional grammar mistake, usually more frequently in the last chapters. You kept changing tenses- not very obviously, but it was still there. You also sometimes forgot the commas in speeches, for example, something like, "Darren come here," should have been "Darren, come here." Sometimes, you also told emotions instead of showing them, though this was not a huge problem. It was most prominent in ch8. There were also quite a few small mistakes, so I'd also suggest a beta-reader once you're done, though I'll already point a few out. In chapter 2, you wrote, "Lucy, I'm love with you." This should be, "Lucy, I'm in love with you. Then, in ch4, it was written, "It was pretty rough time in my life," when it should have been, "It was a pretty rough time in my life." Also, watch out in ch4 for tense switching. Also in ch4: "If Melissa didn't want to hang out, I knew were to find one." "were" should be "where." "He, like me, was exited in Kay's presence," should have been written with "excited" instead of "exited." Apart from the small mistakes, I really enjoyed the moral implications and troubles Dude had to face."
A great story
"This is a great story, not my normal cup of tea but it was compelling. I thought the characters were well developed and many of them had a great arch to their stories. I did not find the sex or violence that obtrusive, and felt they added to the story. I don’t want to give any spoilers but I thought it had a great ending."
Really enjoyable story!
"I started reading this, and I was intrigued from the very start. I want to know what happens next! Since this is a "work in progress", I assume this isn't the end? One of my favorite things about this story was that it was always unexpected. No one ever acted quite the way I thought they would. Whenever I felt like I had things figured out, another piece was thrown into the puzzle. It was definitely a page-turner! I liked Darren's character and the way that he progressed through the story. He was a flawed but interesting character. I was always sad to see him being so selfish and self-destructive, but I really like the way that he develops throughout the story. It makes him seem very real. His later commitments seem to show that he is trying to be more responsible with the way he lives, which is really cool. I also thought it was interesting that you kind of divided him into two people - Darren and Dude. It was very interesting the way he compartmentalizes his life. It makes it very clear that that's a coping mechanism. I also really liked Kay (I felt so bad for her) , Celiene, and Jeffery. I would have liked to have known more about them in the story. It seemed like they were very much defined by their relationships, so it would have been cool to see more individual and ulterior motives thrown into the mix. The plot was very intriguing. Like I said before, it constantly kept me on my toes. I was never quite sure what was going to happen, and it caught me off guard numerous times. I love it when a story surprises me! The writing style was nice, and I enjoyed Darren's voice. I noticed later on where parenthesis were missing, and there were also a few typos here and there, but overall it was pretty clean writing. All in all, this was a really great read! I don't think I've ever read a story quite like this on here. I really want to know what will happen next! Thanks for sharing this great story on here! :-)"
Sometimes romance isn't pretty
"And Kayresia A Bass does a great job of portraying that. The inconsistencies in characters that are so relatable and darker nuances to the book made it a very enjoyable read. I would only say I wasn't the biggest fan of how Kay was introduced - his seeming apathy about any woman that suddenly turned into oh wait no I've loved her for a while. It made sense as the story went on but how we were introduced to his love of her just confused me a bit. Apart from that, I loved the writing style and the characters, especially Celine."
First Chapter only
"This is great work. Has me totally hooked!"
Review
"Usually I don't read romances but I really enjoyed this one for a few reasons. First this isn't the usual sappy and everything's perfect romance, it's dark and show's the struggles and harsh realities that most romances don't usually show. The characters all feel real and relatable. At points I found myself hating Darren for making foolish decisions like going out and kissing girls even though he's with Kay, but I also felt sorry for him as I knew he didn't mean to ruin his relationship. Overall it's a great story and one many people will probably enjoy. If you don't like dark realistic books this probably isn't for you."
Realistic premise
"This is a romance I don't normally read since it's pretty gloomy for the most part, but I suppose it speaks to reality in how not everything can go the way you want it, that people want to move on or some other obstacles occur. Life is complicated and can get depressing as it shows in this novel. It's not really my type of story since I prefer to escape reality than be reminded that it can suck sometimes, but I appreciate that you wrote this story that focuses on Dude's life and his obsession to find love. It's an interesting and realistic premise that I'm sure publishers would want to get their hands on."
Dude Smith
"This was really different from what I usually read - mainly because it's rare to actually follow a protagonist from when he starts off as young to much older. The relationships are complicated and dark, and I think the point of this story is to not celebrate the beauty of romance but the struggles that it brings along the way. The protagonist is definitely very unique, and I think it will take some time for some readers to get used to him, but I'm assuming that is what you were originally going for. Aside from a few grammatical errors here and there (we can never seem to catch ALL of them), I can see you put a lot of work and effort into it."
Dude Smith
"First of all, this is not a genre I usually read (I like tender romances that have a good story line and end happily), and I did not make it completely through this novel but went more than half way before I skipped to the end to see how it finished before I put it down.. The plot is interesting, but the story, the way it was told, frustrated and depressed me, with the main character never managing to pull his life together, but fighting along in glorious dysfunctionality as he steamrollers over the feelings of the women around him, and as his own life goes down the drain (In my opinion).. Story line, description and details, the things that pull a story together, start well, but then become 'dark'. Character development could be made more solid and believable. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar, are generally good."
