Andi Van

Sometimes the assumptions we make, no matter how clear-cut a situation may seem to be, are incorrect. Case in point: Elliot and what he thought he saw. Even though the facts are evident and not denied by anyone – Elliott saw his ex-boyfriend kiss a professor Elliot admired ten years ago – the conclusion Elliot drew was wrong. Well, mostly wrong. His boyfriend was still a cheater (and, as it turns out, a coward), but the professor’s role was not what it seemed.

Meeting Howard again ten years later is not what Elliot wanted to happen, and his first reaction is extremely frosty. But when Howard asks for the benefit of the doubt until he can explain, Elliot grudgingly agrees to listen. It’s a good thing he is such a nice guy – he would have missed out on the love of his life if he hadn’t been open-minded enough to give Howard a second chance.

If you like stories about misunderstandings and second chances, if a May-December holiday romance is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is as short as it is sweet, then you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (meer)

This is a fun, angst-free story about a man who runs into an elk shifter, thinking, probably thanks to the time of year, it might be a reindeer. The situation is actually pretty funny, aided by the fact that the tone of the story is pretty realistic (no mystery around the shifting, or major herd or pack politics). The focus is really on the reaction of both the shifter, who unwittingly give a away the secret of his species' existence, and the human, whose world view suddenly changes.

It's difficult to imagine what a meeting with a shifter might be like, and most people will probably never even try. But if you ever have, it probably didn't involve running into one who is drunk, in his shifted form, and insisting on you talking to him before giving him a lift to wherever it is he needs to go. That is the situation Martin finds himself in when he's already exhausted from working on Black Friday, so he cannot seem to take the whole situation seriously at first.

I had to smile when Haven, the shifter in question, falls asleep on Martin before he can ever make it to the stranger's home, and they end up sharing a bed – both too exhausted to do anything else. It does, however, give Martin and Haven a chance to get to know each other, figure out Martin's reaction to a lover who is hundreds of years old, and come up with a next step.

If you like stories that feel more "real" than fantastical", because they are very much rooted in the reality we know, if you enjoy reading about men who have to deal with a total change of the world as they know it, and if you're looking for a fun, entertaining read without a touch of the paranormal but no major drama or tension, then you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (meer)