Arriving at Love’s Door

Book Cover: Arriving at Love's Door
Editions:ePub, Kindle, PDF

Will reconnecting after more than a decade apart rekindle their love? Or will they not like each other at all?

Unexpectedly, two-year college English instructor Joseph Rutledge gets a letter from Quentin Richards, the boy who sat in front of him at a charity school for wayward boys. Joe vividly remembers Quentin comforting him in fifth grade during an unprecedented earthquake. What could have been a lasting friendship with the boy he loved dissolved under Joe’s inherent shyness.

Little does he know Quentin too remembers the traumatic day of the earthquake and has relied on his memories of Joe’s comfort to buoy him during rough times. After recovering from a debilitating incident at the Olympics, Quentin’s keen to get together with Joe and writes to ask him out.

Will their memories of each other be enough to spark a relationship? Or do they each remember a person who never really existed?

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
Lourenza Adlem
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, MM, romance
Tags:
college graduate, community college, contemporary, earthquake, future, gay romance, LGBTQ+, MM, non-series title, Olympics, renewing old friendships, runner, second chance, second chance at love, second chance love, small town romance, track and field
Excerpt:
    • Twelve months later, the dreaded annual performance review weekend of looking back at the past year and forward to the next one began Friday night with a welcome dinner. The Mogrovejo and Paredes Counties Community College Consortium managed seven two-year colleges in a predominantly rural area in the Northwest United States.

 

    • Since I graduated from college, I’ve taught English composition at two of the colleges and probably would until I retired.

 

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    • Attending the yearly recap, team building, and planning for the future was required for department heads such as myself. It was an extremely boring two days for those of us who’d been-there, done-that for the past eight years. Same people, same problems, no additional funds, no real hope for the future except for incentives the individual instructors could give their students.

 

    • At least the new area casino which was sponsoring this year’s symposium offered more entertainment than listening to my fellow instructors bitch and moan during the session breaks.

 

    • We had convened in the hotel foyer and had been milling around, talking about the casino and by-passing discussions of the recession year and the consequential budget shortfalls. A call to dinner had galvanized us into a booze-fueled crowd ready for food.

 

    • Following behind a group of others who were chattering away, I was stopped at the door to the dining room.

 

    • “Dr. Joseph Rutledge?”

 

    • Although I never got my PhD and am not a doctor, I nodded and stepped out of the way of the crowd which was moving toward the white-clothed tables and uncomfortable-looking chairs.

 

    • “I’m here to escort you to your seat at the head table.” He pointed at the stage.

 

    • “Oh, uh, no. There must be a mistake. Um, I’m not speaking or presenting or anything. I’m not even a PhD, a doctor. I think maybe you should check your records.”

 

    • When he looked down at the paper in his hand, I melted into the crowd and found a seat next to an English instructor from another college.

 

    • The scuttlebutt around my table was the Consortium had scored a coup by landing a well-known athlete to head up a new, revolutionary regional sports medicine program.

 

    • The women at the table were excited because according to rumor, even though the new program director was a man, he was an advocate for women athletes and their education as well.

 

    • Finally, the hall doors closed and the lights dimmed, signaling everyone had made it to the ballroom and was to be seated. The casino had opted to serve us. No plodding buffet lines this year. But as we settled down, no waiters hustled into the room with trays of food. Instead, the PA system clicked on and a shrill screech assaulted us.

 

    • “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?” As if the noise hadn’t already made us sit up and react. “Will Doctor ...” the sound of a hand covering a microphone, “Will Mr. Joseph Rutledge please come forward to the stage? Mr. Joseph Rutledge?”

 

    • Reluctantly, I rose as everyone looked around for the mysterious Mr. Rutledge.

 

    • “Joe! What in God’s name ...?” my fellow instructor started to ask.

 

    • I shook my head in bewilderment.

 

    “I have no idea.”

 

COLLAPSE

Bright, Shiny Love

Metal artist Martin Murphy knows dragons don’t talk, especially the dragon crafted of sequins on a former flame’s vest. So when the dragon seems to reach out and tells him to help its creator Ty, Marty refuses to believe the illusion. The sparks between him and Ty, on the other hand? They’re as real as it gets.

As he and Ty reconnect after so many years, Marty sees firsthand how the big man’s innate kindness and willingness to help others consume his time and energy. Maybe the dragon was right, and Ty needs saving.

While Marty is willing to try, what he really wants to do is pounce on the man and keep him all to himself while they walk down the path to HEA. Does that count as saving him?

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
Lourenza Adlem
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, magical realism, MM, romance
Tags:
art, contemporary, dragon, fabric art, family, gay romance, metal art, MM, novella, renewing old friendships, second chance at love
Excerpt:

“You know what I liked best about the play?” I asked Ty.

We were at Luca’s, a tiny family-owned Italian restaurant. Luca’s is one of those Bay Area eateries with no fixed hours. It’s open until it’s not. This meant diners dropping by the place could get a meal most nights unless the Luca family had an emergency and the doors were locked.

One of Luca’s big plusses is everyone who worked there was always happy to prepare a meal for friends. To them, every customer is a friend.

“I don’t know. What did you like best about the play?” Ty’s eyes lit with mischief. “That you didn’t have to sit through it more than once?”

“Ha, ha,” I scoffed. “No, I’m serious here. I loved the illusion with the dragon.”

At his questioning look, I expanded my comment, “When your character turned away to get R and J the poison.”

“R and J,” he laughed. “Sounds like a tobacco company!”

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Then he smiled. Lines of exhaustion framed his eyes. But he seemed to relax and be less tense as we talked.

“Yeah, I’m glad you liked it, Marty. I was hoping the light would catch the sequins just right. Make the dragon head leap out and look menacing as a comment on their buying poison.”

Although we hadn’t ordered it, a plate of appetizers appeared on the table.

“For you gentlemen while we prepare your meal.” The waiter winked at us and ran his hand under Ty’s hair along his shoulder.

“Hey, thanks, man.” Ty touched his hand and nodded. The waiter strutted back to the kitchen.

“Ricardo,” Ty said to me with a nod in the guy’s direction. “He likes too think of himself as a player even though he’s pretty much bonded at the ... hip ... with Wayne. He thinks I’m pining after him. I play along. Doesn’t hurt anybody. Makes Ric feel like a stud, though.”

He popped a piece of ham-covered toast in his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and sighed. I followed his lead, without the outward sigh.

“Anyway, I’m glad you like the dragon illusion,” he added after a gulp of his wine.

“Well, not exactly what I meant. Don’t get me wrong. The dragon reveal was great. No, I meant the bit afterward when its head reached out over the audience and talked to us. Now that illusion was really special.”

He stared at me a moment and then wiped his lips with his napkin and brushed off his beard.

“What do you mean? I don’t get it. The dragon spoke to the audience? What did it say?”

I stopped munching.

“You don’t know? How could you not? The dragon’s head went from the back of your vest out into the audience and said something like, take care of him or keep him safe or something like that. Then it said or he will die.”

Ty tilted his head as he stared at me. Did he think I was making this up? He had to be teasing me.

Finally, he shook his head and resumed clearing out the hors d'oeuvres. The empty plate was taken away and our entrees appeared.

Before he dug in, he looked at me for a few seconds. Then he shook his head and grinned.

“Wish I had thought of it and how to do it, Marty. Would have been cool. But, no, I didn’t. I don’t think any of the others working on the show did either. Your CBDs are playing tricks on you.”

He dismissed it so casually, I was stunned. It hadn’t been a part of the play? Then what was it? A bit of theatrical craziness on my part? An hallucination? How unsettling.

But now wasn’t the time to unravel what I’d seen. I’d have to think about the vision later. Ty and I were together again. Why waste the time with idiotic speculation?

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Scott on Queeromance Ink wrote:

I am thrilled to see Pat Henshaw tackling a new series of magical realism romance novellas featuring unlikely pairings. It’s set in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the art scene.

The first one, Fragile as Glass, was between Ashton and Hunter, a glass artist and a rockstar. That unlikely pairing worked out really well in the end. Hey, it is a romance! Ashton had a gift – when he touched pieces of crafted glass, he could see their future.

In Bright Shiny Love, it’s Tyson who has the gift – his ability to make his sequin art come to life.

Marty, whom his mother calls “delicate,” starts out recounting the time in high school when he was crushing on another boy. A really tall, robust boy, whose family had absolutely no use for art in their lives. Fast forward to the present day, when an older Marty finds out his old friend Ty is doing the costuming and art for a play that’s a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, only gay.

They get lunch together, but Marty’s rosy memories of the past are tempered when they smash into the reality of Ty’s current life, and how much his step-family relies on him, making everything into an emergency and demanding far too much of the gentle giant’s time, with very little thanks.

Marty has to learn to step out of his own shadow to help Ty out of his. I love the allusions to fantasy throughout the peace, and the troubles they have to get through together in order to find their happily ever after.

Bright Shiny Love follows the normal romance beats – meet, fall in love, break-up, make-up – but it’s a cute, quirky little tale of unexpected love between two people who are very different, and yet clearly meant for each other.

A great addition to Henshaw’s new series – a perfect short light read.


Fragile as Glass

A scrying stone says after his gift is destroyed, a famous songwriter will fall in love. Will the stone’s prediction come true?

Glass artist Ashton Snell is delighted when superstar singer/songwriter Hunter Davidson walks into his shop looking for a gift for a friend. On a whim Ashton looks through a scrying glass to see what’s in store for Hunter in the future. The stone shows a vision of the glass unicorn gift shattering and Hunter falling in love. Should Ashton tell Hunter what he’s seen?

Before he can decide, Hunter asks him to lunch. Ashton agrees although he’s surprised someone as celebrated as Hunter would want to be seen with him. Despite living with it since birth, Ashton is still self-conscious about his limp. Hunter, however, doesn’t seem to notice it.

Could their lunch be the beginning of a lasting friendship? Or will their attraction turn into something more?

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
Lourenza Adlem
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, MM, romance
Tags:
contemporary, family, future, gay romance, glass art, glass blower, lampwork glass art, LGBTQ+, MM, musician, non-series title, novella, rock star, San Francisco
Excerpt:
    • I handed him the bag. He put his hand over mine for a few seconds, long enough to make me shiver and wish I was someone else. Someone who could attract a man like him.
    • “When do you take off for lunch?” he asked abruptly.
    • The question was as surreal as the entire encounter had been. I shook myself.
    • Since it was a few minutes past twelve, I had planned to close the shop and eat after he left. The sign at the door said the shop was closed from noon to one, which was mostly true. I was a little nonplussed about his question and what I should answer.
    • “No, wait. That’s not what I wanted to ask.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Would you go out to lunch with me? Now? Today?”
    • He looked pleased with himself, which was funny because he was a well-known celebrity, one of those performers who people recognized even if they couldn’t remember his name. I was flattered. And flustered. No, a thousand times no. But wait. Why not? I couldn’t come up with an answer. This was a once in a lifetime chance.
    • “Uh, yeah, sure.” I tried to keep my internalizing hidden. Between my clamoring thoughts and pounding heart, I wasn't sure I could. “I just need to lock up since I’m the only one here until later.”
    • “Great.” He beamed like I’d done something to make him extraordinarily happy.
    • As I turned off lights and made sure the shop was secured, he strolled around the displays again. The first time, he’d seemed intent and focused on finding the perfect gift. This time, his fingers tapped lightly against the sales bag as if he were drumming to a song only he heard.
    • Without his stage makeup, he looked like an ordinary customer, which startled me. Weren’t superstars a breed apart? His status as an icon was slipping. I was enchanted by the change.
    • His onstage signature curly, floppy, brilliant red hair was now cropped short and looked almost mouse brown in the low light of the shop. Without eyeliner, his face was ordinary, unremarkable. His jeans, T-shirt, and blazer, all in shades of blue, were the uniform of men over thirty. No wonder he hadn’t been followed and had no entourage. He looked like a lot of the guys walking around the city.
    • When I finished closing up and moved to the front door, he hurried over to me.
    • “Where to?” he asked. “I’m not familiar with this part of the city. Let’s go somewhere not too public, if it’s all right with you. I’d like to talk. Trade ideas.”
    • Trade ideas? What did I know about music or songwriting? This promised to be a really short conversation.
    • “Sure. No problem,” I said as I locked up and pocketed the keys. “Arnold’s is a couple blocks away. I think you’ll like it.”
    • Arnold was the Americanized version of the Greek chef’s name. He and my grandfather were about the same age and best friends. My father and his son, another Arnold, were their tagalongs.
    • My mother was appalled by the elder Arnold because he constantly told her she was a disgrace. Why were the men in her family so skinny? Did she not feed them? She would stomp away while Arnold laughed.
    • “Your mother takes herself too seriously,” he’d tell me. “She should dance and sing more.”
    • Which was the other part of my mother’s disgust with Arnold. He, my grandfather, and my father would sit on the front porch of our house at night after he closed his tiny restaurant. There they’d drink ouzo, belt out folksongs, and challenge each other to perform fancy dance steps.
    • Mother threatened to call the police to quiet them with a warning, but she never did. Nor did the neighbors who could often be found watching and egging the men on.
    • Because he made me nervous, I told most of this to Hunter as we walked to Arnold’s. The story had no real point. As we neared the plain storefront with the plate glass window, my words slowed, then stopped. I was out of breath, trying to keep in step with him like a normal person.
    •  with a stylized depiction of applause -- clapping hands and arms waving -- under it.
      • I gestured to the elaborately written

    Arnold’s

    • “We’re here.” I was nearly panting.

 

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Sadonna on Love Bytes wrote:

This was an interesting story and went off in directions I didn’t anticipate. There are aspects of the story that were not really resolved, but that didn’t detract from the relationship that Ashton and Hunter are building. Yes, there are obstacles, especially with Ashton’s self-consciousness of his limp, but both men grow in their outlook here.

I don’t want to spoil the plot here, but let’s just say that things aren’t always as they appear, particularly for celebrities. Ashton is surprised that someone so famous would be interested in him at all. They go from friends to more as Hunter shares his real self – not the celebrity version – with Ashton.

Overall I enjoyed this story and the secondary characters were quite well drawn as well. In fact, I can see how their stories might be interesting too 😉 Ashton and Hunter may seem like very different people on the surface, but their artistry and personalities really do mesh. Once they get out of their own way a bit 🙂 Recommended. 4 Hearts

Fay on MM Bookworm Reviews wrote:

❤️ Awww I loved Aston and Hunter in this.
Aston 34, comes from a long line of glass artists with his shop selling to tourists and visitors.
When, well-known Hunter walks into his shop magic happens.
A gorgeous story of sand turning into glass and creating something beautiful for love.

Serena on Rainbow Book Reviews wrote:

This is a very cute, if somewhat angsty in places, story about two artists who feel a deep connection when they meet but don’t quite know what to do about it. Well, they sort of know what they want to do about it, but Ashton cannot believe anyone could love him and Hunter does not see how self-conscious Ashton is. Both need to learn to listen to their heart – and the other man – before anything more than friendship can develop.

Ashton is a talented glass artist, born into a family of successful glass artists and with a talent to “see the future” in what his family calls scrying stones they collect at the beach. When musical superstar Hunter first comes into the family store, Asher checks out Hunter’s future and what he sees, a gift destroyed, makes him assume all kinds of things that get in the way of him opening up to Hunter. That, and his belief that his limp will stand in the way of a relationship (like it has done before), mean he is more hesitant than he might be otherwise.

Hunter may be a famous musician, but he is looking for a human connection when he meets Ashton. He also makes a few assumptions, but his almost relentless interest in Ashton is stronger than what might get in the way of the two men getting to know each other.

I loved the descriptions of all the glass art in Ashton’s store, how each piece is unique, and how connected he is to his father and grandfather. Hunter “not seeing the problem” with Asher’s disability is as endearing as it is problematic – because there are things to watch out for that Hunter has to learn about.

If you like stories about artists who can be off in their own world but still want to have a real relationship, if misunderstandings at the beginning of a relationship are your thing, and if you are looking for a happy ending despite obstacles, then you will probably like this story.

Melanie M on Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words wrote:

Rating: 4🌈

Fragile as Glass by Pat Henshaw is a wonderful, slightly mystical romance in JMS Books LLC’s Gay Advent Calendar this year.

Henshaw does such an excellent job in creating the character of glass artist Ashton Snell, complete with compelling history that explores and helps the reader really understand him, his personality, including his disability, and the slightly magical gift that he inherited from his grandfather. Ashton is so well written that he and this narrative need a longer story to completely dive into all the many elements and characters this author has created here.

The other main character is singer/rock star/songwriter Hunter who just isn’t as layered a character but has the ability to grow into something special. He’s intriguing but there’s so much to Ashton that anyone would be a lesser individual with this story. There’s not enough pages for equal development.

He comes with a good backstory, two side characters ( a bodyguard and his boyfriend , a chef) that I also wanted more of. Especially Gil, that bodyguard, because in a tv show or on stage, he’s what’s called a “scene stealer”. He’s that dynamic.

There’s also something fascinating going on, plot wise, that Henshaw pulls together here. After giving us an idea of the intriguing place where Ashton lives, a home turned compound that his grandfather started and has filled with artists. Ashton has two long time friends,fellow artists, and the author begins a storyline about a changing new dynamic between them, not a welcome one.

It’s a great plot. But that’s not what the story is about, and it has nowhere to go. It’s dropped. But I certainly was glued to this aspect of the story and it’s still there in my mind, going back over what the author might have done with more pages to really explore this aspect of Ashton’s life.

The romance between Ashton and Hunter is magical, quick, with a dramatic moment and then a sweet ending. That seems a bit rushed. But that is my preference for longer stories in general and this is in keeping with the spirit of the story.

Fragile as Glass by Pat Henshaw is a lovely story. It’s got so many interesting elements and well done characters that I wish it was twice its length or a prequel for more of this universe to come.

It’s another win for this author and the delightful press, JMS Books LLC. Check them out!


12 Blind Dates

Following a horrific break up with his fiancé, Luke Bennet spends two years as a social hermit, only going to work and talking with Tina, Gina, and Rita, three friends from high school.

Refusing to let him wallow any longer, they intervene and talk him into going on twelve blind dates to get him back in social circulation.

The Trio have not only planned the dating venues but also chosen the perfect guys to lure Luke from his isolation.

Will he find love through these dates? Or will he run for cover again?

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
Drew
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, MM, romance
Tags:
animal shelter, art gallery, bartender, baseball, basketball, blind dates, board games, chef, contemporary, dog walking, gay romance, LGBTQ+, MM, movie, non-series title, poetry reading, pool, quiz competition, referee, restaurant, second chance, second chance at love, second chance love, soup kitchen, starting over, treasure hunt, Trio, trivia
Excerpt:

About the most positive part of date four was the date showed up. Equally, that could have been the worst part of the date.

Since dates four and five had already been lined up without Mike and Bert being invited to go on them, we decided to start the foolproof date backup plan on date six. I mean, what could go wrong on Friday and Saturday?

Rita who organized catering for gala events had scored a pair of tickets to the premier of the newest Marvel film at the refurbished mall Cineplex. During the pandemic, the Cineplex had gutted its theaters, transforming its rows of hard-backed chairs into home entertainment seating.

I’d read a couple of online articles about how incredible the new wave of movie theater comfort was becoming, so even if I wasn’t gung-ho about another blind date, I was excited to be one of a pampered audience.

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Bernard showed up in a three-piece suit looking like he’d stepped out of a GQ ad. Audience members around us ranged from those costumed to those in theme T-shirts. I wore jeans and a neutral sweater.

After exchanging names and a hearty handshake, we were greeted by people with clipboards who logged us in and told us where our seats were located. As we waited our turn to enter the theater itself, Bernard glanced around and sighed.

“I should have known.” He looked like he was in pain. “Who are these people?”

Thinking it was a genuine question and he’d never seen cosplayers before, I started to answer as he shook his head, disgust written all over his face.

“They have no appreciation of the time, trouble, and creative genius that went into this production,” he said.

“What? No! You’ve got it wrong. They’re the ones who truly appreciate what we’re going to see.”

I realized my mistake almost immediately. Obviously, nobody ever told Bernard he was wrong.

The date immediately plunged toward disaster status.

With him ignoring me, we were checked off the guest list, given brochures about the operation of the lounge seats, and ushered into the theater.

I was reading how the seats reclined, featured built-in speakers, sported cup holders with cold and hot settings, and even gave massages. To break our silence, I was about to comment how a massage might put me to sleep instead of enhance the movie experience when I realized Bernard wasn’t anywhere near me.

He was down the row facing a handsome twenty-something in the center chair.

“I don’t give a fuck who you think you are! I’m sure this is supposed to be my seat,” Bernard yelled.

After we were escorted from the theater -- without seeing the movie -- Bernard stalked off to the parking lot and it was the last I saw of him.

Mike thought the story of the date was really funny.

“Okay, wise guy. What would you or Bert have done to help me out?”

“Um, I would have stepped in and explained how we weren’t responsible for your blind date’s actions and let Bernard leave and be his own unhappy self. Then we all would have sat back and enjoyed the movie. You were being too nice to have walked out with him.”

“Well, he was my date.”

“Not right then he wasn’t.” Mike looked at me with a huge grin. “Did you even get to try out the new lounge chairs?”

At my head shake, he added, “Well, I’m putting them down on our to-do list.”

Our to-do list?

How come his words made me feel hopeful? I didn’t tell him, though.

In the end, he and I thought the next date couldn’t possibly be worse.

We were wrong. So wrong.

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Natalie on Goodreads wrote:

This was a cute and fun read that just made me giggle as Luke went through his dates, most of them just a disaster. Mike is Luke's first date and as Luke goes through his other dates, these two start to get closer than just friends. I loved that Luke's friends wanted to help him get out of his rut but man did they did not pick some winners, except for Mike of course. This is short and entertaining so if you need something to make you smile or a palate cleanser between emotionally heavy reads, then pull this up.

Maureen on Goodreads wrote:

A delightful and entertaining tale of how sometimes friends, although they mean well, are not the best Cupid assistants. Actually it's more than that, it's freaking hilarious! Who knew so many blind dates could be so disasterous. Poor Luke, having three female BFF's is bound to bring about emotional upsets as they try to re-involve him into the dating world. Great fun to read and a sweet sweet finale.


Holiday Quartet box set

Bells ring and choirs sing. People bustle with happiness and joy. Calories pile up while everyone gathers to chat with friends and relatives. What’s more exciting than all the holidays in December?

But sometimes we need a break from the expectations and the wonderment. A great way to revive our spirits is by reading a story to ground us in the true meaning of the season.

This collection features four stories infused with happiness, love, and joy. From a small business owner discovering his first fruitcake and a homeless man finding a permanent home to a blacksmith’s wish to propose to his childhood friend and a gay man relocating to a small town, each story is a journey of self-discovery leading to happily ever after.

Contains the stories:

Blame It on the Fruitcake: Motorcycle shop owner Sam McGuire falls for the fruitcake his loft neighbor’s grandma makes as well as the man himself. But will handsome, educated, personable Jay Merriweather be attracted to a grease jockey like Sam?

The Orpheum Miracle: The son of crack addicts who abandoned him as a child, Mick has found refuge in the historic Orpheum Theater. But when the new owner takes over, will Mick be pushed out on the street or taken into the owner’s heart?

Making the Holidays Happy Again: Butch has been manning the forge in Old Town and fantasizing over his best friend Jimmy since they were in high school. Does Jimmy feel the same way about Butch? Does Butch want to push their friendship and find out?

Heart of the Holidays: When Silicon Valley programmer Dan Lassiter moves to a small California town, he doesn’t expect to find love. After Rick Reardon opens his bakery across the street, Dan may change his mind.

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
JM Snyder
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, holiday, MM, romance
Tags:
apothecary, bakery, bicycle shop, blacksmith, contemporary, elderly companion, family, fruitcake, gay romance, grandmother, homeless, LGBTQ+, MM, motorcycle mechanic, movie scout, movie theater, Northern California, novella, second chance, second chance at love, second chance love, small town romance, software designer, Thanksgiving
Excerpt:

EXCERPT FROM "Blame It on the Fruitcake"

    • “Hi there. Did I hear you say you’re the neighbor from down the hall?” At my nod, the new guy added, “Let’s get you a drink and introduce you to a few people.”

 

    • Now here was my kinda man. Like me, on the street, nobody’d probably guess he was gay. Only not like me, since I looked like the bike mechanic I am, he looked like one of the bankers I’d talked to last week. He was a couple inches shorter than me, with conservative-cut hair, blue eyes, and a trustworthy face. He looked like he cared whether I was having a good time or not.

 

    • “Uh, sure. That’d be great.”

 

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    • I couldn’t figure out how I was supposed to act. If I wasn’t bullshitting with friends, my words usually dried up. Fortunately it hadn’t happened at the bank when I was presenting my case for a loan to a guy who looked like him, or I’d have been fucked.

 

    • So I let this guy lead me around, introducing me, telling me something about everyone, and letting them know I lived at the other end of the hall.

 

    • At one point he stared at me with a funny twinkle in his eyes and asked, “You’re not by any chance McGuire’s Bikes, are you?”

 

    • I managed to nod. I was stunned. It wasn’t like I was famous or anything.

 

    • He beamed. “No shit! Wow! I wanted to meet you after the Reno Roadshow. I loved your Loose and Wild Rainbow. Great bike.”

 

    • Ah, yes, L&WR, the winner of the Roadshow competition. I’d tricked out the bike for a buddy of mine who died of AIDS. He wanted the bike to be a memorial, but so far we couldn’t locate a cemetery or burial place where we could put his ashes and his machine. We were finding that burial laws by the ocean and in the mountains were pretty archaic and exclusive. If we wanted a bike cut into marble, no problem. But Harry hadn’t been a stone monument sorta guy.

 

    • “Uh, thanks. Yeah, it was a special kinda project,” I mumbled.

 

    • Even with the music, the shouting people, and the yelling when a couple were caught under the mistletoe, the guy still heard me.

 

    • He put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a hug. “Yeah, I know. He’ll be missed.”

 

    • Now my head was reeling. What the fuck? He knew Big Harry?

 

    • “I met Harry when I was a kid hanging around my buddy’s dad’s garage,” he said.

 

    • “Where’d you grow up?” I asked. After I’d had a couple drinks, the pumping music, the blinking Christmas lights, and the strangers laughing and yelling were making the night surreal. This handsome, clean-cut guy had known Harry? I must be dreaming. He and Harry looked light years apart.

 

    • “Little town outside Denver in the foothills. Deer Creek. You probably heard Harry talk about it. Not the place you want to grow up gay.” His laugh was short and dismissive.

 

    • “Yeah, so Harry always said.” I shifted to my other foot and looked down at the red plastic cup of punch. This was the last one for me tonight. I still hadn’t found the fruitcake. “So you go to bike shows?”

 

    • “Yup. The best part of my job.” He shrugged with a happy grin.

 

    • “Yeah? What do you do?”

 

    • We were bumped and separated by an incoming group. They exclaimed over my new friend, one of the women smothering him with kisses. He glowed with embarrassment and shot me a rueful glance. As the sea parted us, I drifted away looking for the food table and hoped it held enough fruitcake that I could steal some and not out myself as a thief.

 

    • I’d eaten three pieces and was busy wrapping up a fourth in napkins to take with me when my new nameless friend walked up and stood next to me.

 

    • “You like the fruitcake, huh?” He was smiling like I’d really pleased him.

 

    • “Yeah. I’d never tasted it until I got some with the invitation.”

 

    He gave me a tiny smile and shook his head, his eyes twinkling as if laughing at some cosmic joke.

 

COLLAPSE

A Handful of Joy

When does never turn into happily ever after in the search for love?

Top accountant of Manzanita Imports in Sacramento, Ted Abbott stopped participating in the love game after he turned thirty quite a few years ago. He’s not tempted by the cute young new hires or the product reps his loyal staff suggest he ask out on a date.

Chicago contractor Matt Patterson is on the verge of giving up too. He’s worked his way up from apprentice carpenter to co-owner of a thriving business. At forty-something, he’s considered a lucky catch for anybody looking for a sugar daddy, which he knows only too well.

The chance of them meeting is nil until Matt’s uncle who lived in Sacramento dies and leaves his estate to his nephew.

After they meet in a dilapidated bar called The Roost, could their paths actually merge and become one?

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
JM Snyder
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, holiday, MM, romance
Tags:
accountant, construction worker, contemporary, family, gay romance, LGBTQ+, MM, Northern California, small town romance, uncle's will
Excerpt:

“Where to next?” I asked Matt after shooting off a text to Josie.

“Somewhere I can think.” He turned and looked at me. “Thank you for the assist back there. It takes me a minute when something unexpected happens. A lot of people call me slow and others call me plain old stupid.”

He shook his head.

“A few of my friends at work call me ‘Give-me-a-minute-Matt’. I gotta step back and assess the situation and go over all my options before I come to a decision.” His mouth turned up in a rueful grimace. “Often people get annoyed when I do it.”

Not me. I was impressed. I liked a guy who took his time and didn’t just blunder ahead like his first thought always had to be the best. Careful thought beat impetuous action as far as I was concerned.

“Okay. All right.” I couldn’t leave it at that, though. “You didn’t hesitate the other night. Seemed pretty quick and direct to me. I was surprised.”

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It took him a second, but he smiled a dreamy kind of grin.

“Yeah. The dance. The kiss.” He winked at me. “Not typical, so don’t get used to it.”

While we laughed softly together, I realized the easing of tension after our visit to Calvin was just what we needed.

“So, beef, chicken, fish, or other?” I asked.

“I don’t care as long as it’s somewhere quiet and we can talk without getting interrupted.”

His request wasn’t as impossible as it sounded. I took him to my favorite noontime Sudoku and tea spot, a tiny café I’d dubbed The Café That Time Forgot.

When it was built six generations back, Grumpy Gramp’s had been situated on one of the up-and-coming arterials in and out of San Francisco. Then highways had been built, with freeways not long afterward, followed by Interstate 80. The arterial receded into being a rural road, and instead of blossoming into the first of a flourishing chain of roadside cafés, Grumps, as it was affectionately called around here, became an anomaly, a family owned and operated East Bay institution.

Matt glanced at the sign over the brick building and laughed.

“Why’s he grumpy?”

“The café’s claim to fame is locally sourced ingredients for its soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastries. The story goes that back in the early 1900s when Gramps built the café on the edge of the fields, he always helped the workers pick the produce. One day a farmer brought in a box of greens and vegetables he’d picked the night before, so they weren’t in the best shape in the morning. Grampa reamed him out, calling the guy a ‘limp asparagus’. Everyone in the café at the time thought it was hilarious. They said the place’s name should be changed. Gramma wasn’t amused but said from now on her café would be called Grumpy Grampa, not Limp Asparagus. The name stuck.”

Matt was full-out belly laughing.

“Oh, God. The image. Limp asparagus.”

“Yeah, I know. Not a place where any self-respecting man would want to eat. Ever.”

COLLAPSE
Reviews:True on Love Bytes wrote:

5*

Ted lived quite the happy life, working with enough time to regroup, chill over some beers, and charge his battery. Until his job changed and with that his whole life.

Meeting Matt at a bar was something else. Just like himself, Matt wasn’t a youngster. A thousand thoughts are running through Ted’s head, doubts, how to act, oh my, the difficulties of a single gay man’s life.

Matt inherit property from his uncle Tom, who was gay and banned from the family. His uncle’s lawyer gives useless advice from a horrible homophobic pov.

Ted and Matt take stock of all the inheritance. Matt wants to look at all the houses.

What follows is a marvelous journey, with depth, clarification, and beautiful people.

It’s a considerate story, it’s gentle, there are some sad moments, but Matt and Ted gently made things right for people who were wronged.

The way the author created an intimate atmosphere was awesome, looking around everything was perfectly visually portrayed. Matt and Ted just fit, the attraction was instant, they are mature, gentle, emotional, and very lovable.

It was a short read, about 70 pages, I’m in awe, the content felt like a novel.
All beautifully written, developed at the right moments, the story felt so warm and comfortable, it touched my heartstrings.

Susan on ButtonsMom LovestoRead wrote:

5*
A sweet story.

A Handful of Joy is the first book I’ve read by Pat Henshaw and I liked it very much. It’s a fairly short novella and I don’t judge them quite the same way I do a longer book because there just isn’t a lot of time for character development.

This is pretty much an insta-love story but I don’t mind those like some readers do. Both Ted and Matt are lonely and resigned to end up without a life partner as they are both over 30. They meet at a bar that Ted hasn’t been to in ages and Matt asks him to dance. (Later we learn that it’s not a gay bar and Matt was surprised the Ted didn’t deck him.) That dance begins their journey together with Matt telling Ted how he’s come to inherit property in the area and that he needs to settle his uncle’s estate.

I love the way these two interacted with each other. This isn’t a hot and heavy sex filled story. It’s really sweet with enough heat (off page) that you know the sexy time is good for them. I was captured by their story and was anxious to see how things turned out with all of the properties that Matt inherited.

There were just two minor things I would have liked to learn during the story: 1 – I really wanted to know if the uncle’s homophobic, thieving lawyer got what was coming to him and 2 – and what about the house that Matt and Ted never found when they went to look at the inherited properties? Neither of these missing elements were enough for me to drop a star from my rating. Like I said at the beginning, short books like these usually can’t contain all of the elements that a voracious reader like me wants to read. 😊

If you’ve read this far (thank you), I want to end on a totally positive note and express once again how much I enjoyed the first book I’ve read by Pat Henshaw.

A copy of this book was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting on Dec. 12, 2021)

Red's Book Reviews on MM Romance Reviewed wrote:

5*

Ted is an accountant who after a long day decides to pop into a local bar for a beer and to recapture memories of better days. Instead he meets Matt, a construction worker who has recently inherited a bar. The story follows Matt and Ted over the next couple of months as they help each other and develop their relationship. I liked that this wasn’t a quick one weekend kind of story and that you got a bit more of their lives and a proper HEA at the end. A Handful of Joy is a really good short read.

Heather on MM Romance Reviewed wrote:

5*

A Handful of Joy is short, sweet and to the point, but it doesn't lack for anything because of that... Pat Henshaw is able to pack a complete tale into the seven chapters they provide. It's got a meet-cute, but not an insta-love story which for a short is pretty amazing! I love how the story flows and provides a satisfying HEA in so few words.


Foothills Pride Box Set

The tiny Sierra Nevada community of Stone Acres looks benign on the outside, but it’s been a hive of activity since gay men from Silicon Valley began moving in. The Old Town establishment is up in arms as newcomers challenge the conservative community to move into the new millennium. Along the way, gay couples find true love and a new home.

Contains the stories:

What’s in a Name?: When barista Jimmy is dumped and gets drunk on his 30th birthday, a handsome, hunky bartender takes care of him, but is mum about his real name. When Jimmy presses him, the bartender makes the quest a game, giving him seven guesses and promising romance each night. For every wrong guess, Jimmy has to forfeit a hot, sexy kiss. Sounds good, but what’s the catch?

Redesigning Max: Out and proud award-winning designer Fredi Zimmer takes on straight outdoorsman Max Greene’s cabin renovation. When he finds out Max is closeted and wants to come out, Fredi helps Max remodel not only his cabin but his life. Angered that Fredi has turned him, Max’s former friends intervene. Will Fredi and Max win the fight for their happiness?

Behr Facts: After CEO Abe Behr discovers discrepancies in his construction company accounts, he hires CPA Jeff Mason to help him find the embezzler. Searching for the culprit, they become closer, and Abe realizes he’s gay. However, coming out to a hostile family and community may break up the couple before they cement their happiness. With so much strife, will love prevail?

When Adam Fell: Jason’s drug addiction ripped them apart. Does Adam want to get back together now that his former lover says he’s clean?

Relative Best: When hotel owner Zeke Bandy meets Vic Longbow, he sees stars. But Vic is in town to attend a wedding and to open an office, not to fall in love. Are they doomed as lovers because they’re both too busy for happily ever after?

Frank at Heart: What will it take to make hardware store owner Frank update himself and his store? Could the new man in town be the key to unlock Frank’s life and future happiness?

Waking the Behr: Ladies’ man and small town contractor Ben Behr is blindsided by his lustful feelings for San Francisco entrepreneur Mitch O’Shea. Can a country mouse and a city mouse bridge the gap in their upbringing and expectations to find love?

Short Order: Amid the happiness of the Christmas season, horticulturist Fen Miller and his landlord sous chef John Barton have some serious decisions to make. Fen must decide on a career and John on eluding his grim past. Together can they support each other enough to discover their happily ever after?

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
JM Snyder
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, MM, romance
Tags:
accountant, barista, bartender, bird watcher, cabin, chef, college graduate, computer game designer, construction worker, contemporary, embezzlement, entrepreneur, family, Foothills Pride series, gay romance, hardware store, hotel owner, interior designer, LGBTQ+, maitre d', MM, movie scout, music, Native American, Northern California, outdoorsman, POC, San Francisco, second chance, second chance at love, second chance love, short men, Sierra Nevada foothills, software designer, sous chef, starting over, teenager
Excerpt:

EXCERPT FROM "What's in a Name?"

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    • Is there anything worse than waking up with a really bad hangover? The answer, I found out that morning, was a solid yes. My particular hell was waking up in a strange bed with someone lying next to me, who's snoring away so loud I was surprised the neighbors weren't complaining. What made it all worse was I had to pee really, really bad, and I didn't have a clue where the bathroom was.
    • I lay on my back taking stock. I was naked, covered with a beige sheet and navy blue comforter in a huge bed, my head taking up most of the California king space.
    • Where the heck was I? I had no clue. I really didn't care because I was hurting so badly it'd probably be better if whoever lived here would just shoot me and put me out of my misery.
    • Still, I had to pee, so I slowly swam to the edge of the bed, trying not to move any body parts. Which was a complete failure. I ached all over. Had someone beaten me up?
    • As I reached the side of the bed and peered over the edge at the floor a few stories below, I groaned. Where was the ladder to climb down to the carpeting? I clutched the edge of the bed with one hand and rolled to my side.
    • "Hey, where you going, Jimmy?"
    • I hadn't noticed the snoring had stopped until the voice boomed in my ear.
    • Carefully, I turned my head.
    • The Stonewall Saloon bartender with the nametag of Alex last night was peering at me over his chest of hair. His eyes were squinted. A slender beam of light from a gap in the curtains was aimed at his face.
    • "Bathroom. Pee." I sighed. "Gotta pee."
    • "Right." He groaned and caused a tidal wave on the mattress even though it wasn't a water bed.
    • My body reacted with the seismic quake and my stomach protested. I swallowed back the rising pain even though I knew my gut had nothing left in it to come up.
    • I felt large hands under my arms.
    • "Right this way."
    • His voice clanged from one of my ears to the other.
    • He turned me, and we marched to a doorway and into the bathroom. Carefully, he lowered my nude body down onto the toilet.
    • "No spilling." He turned away and walked into the hallway.
    • I pushed my limp dick between my legs and did my thing, not spilling a drop on the bathroom floor or the toilet seat. Then I rested my arm on the sink counter next to the toilet and put my head on my arm.
    • "Nope, no snoozing here." His voice boomed. "C'mon. It's way too early for this shit."
    • Again arms lifted me. After I balanced myself, one hand left. The toilet roiled. The hand returned.
    • "We'd usually wash our hands," the voice murmured through me, "but I think we'll skip it this time."
    • Back in bed, covered, dry mouthed, I decided it was again nap time.
    • * * * *
    • The next time I woke, I was awake. Awake awake. Oh my God, where in the hell am I awake. Shit, I'm in big trouble awake. Where are my clothes awake.
    • I took inventory. No pain in the ass. That was a relief. No smell of semen. Check, and another sigh. No aches and pains that weren't directly related to way, way too many shots and beers, check. No clothes. No clothes?
    • I was okay, pretty much, other than naked, hungover, and in a stranger's house.
    • Damn it, I was thirty years old, naked in a stranger's bed, with only a hazy recollection of what happened after my now former boyfriend Alex stranded me at the Stone Acres' historic saloon.
    • I had a hazy memory of the bartender helping me to the bar bathroom the night before and this morning. So was I at his house? If so, how'd I get here?
    • "Um," I tried to say, but my mouth was glued shut.
    • I reached over to feel the side of the bed. Still there. Then I reached over to the other side. Nothing. No one.
    • Okay, I was alone in a strange bed as my memory filtered back online. I had been an ass, and the bartender with the faux name of Alex had taken care of me anyway. I owed him my firstborn child, should such a thing happen to me now in my boyfriendless state. I owed Alex the bartender everything, including my pride and gratitude.
    • What I really needed to do was apologize for causing him so much trouble.
    Slowly I sat up and then stood. My knees protested, so I sat back down and then tried again. This time my knees cooperated.

 

 

COLLAPSE

When Heart Becomes Home

Is there a time limit on love and forgiveness?

Fifteen years ago, Manny didn’t show up to take Wes to the Shelby High School prom as he promised. Instead, Wes found Manny’s letter jacket at their meeting spot without a note or any explanation.

From college to his current job in Monterey, California, Wes has carted the jacket around as a memento of his teenage love and rejection. This year he decides enough is enough. He’s attending the high school class reunion, returning Manny’s jacket, and going home free to find the real love of his life.

When Manny sees Wes at the reunion tour of the new high school facilities, he’s determined not to let his teenage lover leave without them clearing the air and possibly getting back together.

Through reunion activities such as a quiz bowl, meet-and-greet meals, and a formal banquet with a prom-like ball as well as outside activities like the quinceañera of Manny’s niece, Wes and Manny work through the lies and misunderstandings of the past.

With so much to reconcile and forgive on both sides, will they end up together? Or go their separate ways with only memories of the past?

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
JM Snyder
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, MM, romance
Tags:
college graduate, community college, contemporary, family, gay romance, geeks, high school prom, high school reunion, Latino, letter jacket, LGBTQ+, Mexican American, MM, Monterey, non-series title, Northern California, POC, quincenera, quiz competition, renewing old friendships, second chance, second chance at love, second chance love, single mother, starting over, stood up for prom
Excerpt:

Manny stopped where we usually parked way back when. He cut the engine after rolling down the windows. A cool breeze ambled in, looked around, and exited on my side.

“So here we are.” Manny was whispering like he always did when we got here.

His arm rested on top of the backrest. But he didn’t play with my hair like he had then.

I clicked off my seat belt and turned to him.

“You promised me a look at the night sky.”

“So I did.” His seat belt made a decisive click just as mine had. “I’m not sure we can still see the sky from here though. I haven’t been out here in a while.”

“In a while?”

“In fifteen years. Not since the last time we came out here together.”

He spoke softly as if he was embarrassed to admit it. My dick heard his words as did my heart. My dick stiffened, even more than it already was. My heart pounded loud enough Manny should have been able to march to its beat.

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I opened my door and got out. The ground was uneven, lumpy with rocks and roots and branches. I held onto the side of the truck while I tried to make it back to the tailgate.

We nearly collided when we got there.

Manny cleared his throat. I stepped back, unsure what to do.

“Um, yeah, let me get a few things out first.” He lowered the tailgate, hopped up onto the bed, opened the tool box, and got out a couple of exercise mats. He unrolled them one on top of the other. “Here, give me your hand.”

Lying on the mats wasn’t quite like it had been when we were eighteen. Our thirty-three-year-old bodies were less fluid and unforgiving in the confines of the truck bed.

We also didn’t seem to be as slender and compact as we’d been back then. There seemed to be a lot more of him and me as we lay side by side. Or were we pulled away, trying not to touch? Maybe I was just turning into the princess of princess-and-the-pea fame and was being overly picky.

As I gazed up, even the view of the sky was different. Either the trees had grown and filled in above us or we really couldn’t have seen the sky while we were pawing each other underneath their branches.

I slapped at a mosquito or fly or gnat or something. Then Manny slapped at something on his side. Suddenly, all I could hear was soft buzzing around me, and it was game on. The word was out that fresh meat had arrived.

“You got any DEET in your tool box?” I sat up waving my hands around my face, warding off the attack.

“Condoms, lube. Nope, no bug spray. The yoga mats took up too much space with my emergency road kit. I couldn’t even get a six-pack inside it.” He’d jumped out of the truck bed and was doing some sort of primitive bug repellent dance.

After I joined him on the ground, he closed the tailgate, and we ran to get into the cab. It wasn’t much better inside since we’d left the windows down. The bugs just followed us.

“Okay, we’re outta here.” He started the engine. “You want to come to my place? We can talk there.”

 

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Fay on MM Bookworm Reviews wrote:

4.5 stars.

A great start and yah once I started reading I forgot about taking notes for my review as I do. Wes was on a mission to return a jacket. I loved the first meeting for Wes and Manny again setting eyes on each other again. What happens things kinda go wrong and Manny needed to make his apologies. They both find out their past prom had interference that stopped them from enjoying the night. I felt for them both when they finally get to talk about what happened.
A second chance romance with past hurts and feelings to work through. Different living locations for each to work out in the communications. A few scenes of forgiveness as life deals, poor John I was conflicted with this part.. Yah things ain't easy especially with Flippy and Manny's mother but they get through with a few dramas. Includes homophobia and bigotry.
Written with Wes POV and includes much more into the story and finishes with a HEA.

Wes 33 yrs was attending his high school reunion to return a jacket. Manny was once a high school boyfriend but it ended badly at prom night.

Jay on Kimmer's Erotic Book Banter wrote:

The past is not always as it appears. Rash decisions, the innocence of youth, and bigotry create a fifteen-year separation that subconsciously holds on to those years. When Heart Becomes Home, by Pat Henshaw, addresses aged hurt and reveals truths, providing a second chance that transcends time.

The love Gordon Westerhouse (Wes) and Manuel Garcia (Manny) held for one another was shattered the night of their senior prom. Homophobia and bigotry prevented them from experiencing their rite of passage, resulting in years of heartbreak and stagnant living.

The class reunion reaffirms that the years after high school change the dynamics of a group and the lives of inexperienced youth.

The Fifteenth Shelby High School Reunion, for Wes, is a time to break the cycle and move on. He will return Manny’s letterman jacket that he took that fateful night and let go of Manny once and for all. However, Manny has a different plan. He needs to explain that night, make his apologies, and get his man back.

The weeklong get together provides an opportunity for Wes and Manny to talk out their past and reconnect with old friends and foes. The class reunion reaffirms that the years after high school change the dynamics of a group and the lives of inexperienced youth. The clicks that existed during those days have gained real life experience and closely guarded secrets are now out in the open. Albeit there is a small contingent who hang on to the “glory days” of their youth, for the most part there is a sense remorse and regret for past actions.

There is hurt, comfort, drama, and a slew of realities bestowed on the Shelby High School Reunion attendees that mimic life in general, with its good and not so good realities. A situation with Manny’s mother is tough to swallow, but then again bigotry always is. And “Flip” needs to just stop… you will find out what this is all about.

There is hurt, comfort, drama, and a slew of realities bestowed on the Shelby High School Reunion attendees that mimic life in general, with its good and not so good realities.

When Heart Becomes Home is Wes and Manny’s journey to happiness told from Wes’ perspective. Fifteen years of torment come full circle for Wes and Manny as they finally get the prom they should have had so many years ago. With trepidation they work through the events of their past to bring themselves to their happily-ever-after.

Jen on Dog-Eared Daydreams wrote:

Henshaw did a notable job with this story about first loves and second chances, and how love truly does win in the end. When Heart Becomes Homes receives four stars.

(See Dog-Eared Daydreams for the rest of the review!)

Kat on Love Bytes wrote:

Do you ever wonder about the one that got away?

Manny has been on Wes’s mind for the last fifteen years. Every since Gordo, now called Wes, found Manny’s mud soaked letterman’s jacket when he got stood up for their date to the prom. Wes left the very next morning for college and never looked back. But here he is is at his High School reunion to finally give the boy his jacket back so he can finally get on with his life! But what happens when your high school love is standing right in front of you and trying to tell you what you thought was reality of that night isn’t the truth?

I loved this misfit group. I love how varied they all were but how fiercely protective of their band of nerds they each were. Wes had all his friends on his side as he moves forward with his plans to get rid of the old baggage of his life and move forward.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to meet up, discover the last 15 years had been a lie and then realize there was something still there that never died in either men. I did appreciate that the author didn’t have Wes immediately fall at Manny’s feet in mad love but that they had to learn to trust each other again. But, when the truths start emerging my heart hurt for all the wrongs that had happened to both boys at the hands of those that were suppose to love them completely.

I did have one part that bugged me. When Cee-Cee kept thanking her uncle it didn’t make sense. Manny was an only child. It would make more sense that she was a cousin or possibly second cousin but not her uncle.

Also, it was obvious that Teddy, Zack’s husband, didn’t go to high school with the rest of the team so how come he got to be a member of the team when actual alumni were set as alternates by the reunion trivia board? And what school anywhere in this country wouldn’t have ADA accommodations mandatory, especially in California?

All in all, even with these blunders, I liked this sweet story of second chance romance.


Heart of the Holidays

Everyone hopes his road to happily ever after will be carefree and smooth, but too often hair-pin turns and detours seem to get in the way.

Having thought he was on the road to forever before, former Silicon Valley programmer Dan Lassiter is leery about pedaling down it again. His elderly companion Charlie urges him to get to know Rick Reardon whose bakery is across the street from Dan’s bicycle shop.

Under the watchful eye of Charlie, Dan and Rick take tentative steps toward each other, all the while trying to avoid potholes such as exes, homophobes, and family problems.

As summer turns to fall and then winter, they hope that the road will be smooth going from their first date and first kiss to having what Rick’s sister euphemistically calls their “sleep overs”. At each step, though, they are tripped up and wonder why there seem to be so many bumps in their road.

Maybe Dan and Rick should heed some of Charlie’s sage advice or maybe they should listen to their hearts instead of the ghosts from their pasts.

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
JM Snyder
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, holiday, MM, romance
Tags:
bakery, bicycle shop, computer game designer, contemporary, elderly companion, family, gay romance, Halloween, homeless, LGBTQ+, MM, non-series title, software designer, starting over, Thanksgiving
Excerpt:

The kids and their mom arrived after lunch, right about the time Charlie usually turned in for a nap. He gave them the once over as they got out of the car, nodded to me with raised eyebrows, and ambled back toward the house. I guess he figured he’d meet them sometime, probably sooner rather than later, so he didn’t have to knock himself out now. It was the siesta part of his day.

After the kids tumbled from the car and jumped on Rick, he pointed at my open garage and waved at me. I waved back, and they galloped across the street.

“Hi, I’m McKinsey! You can call me Mack.” The red-haired boy danced in front of me. His hair blazed in the sun and was as bright as his green eyes and freckles. He didn’t look anything like his uncle. “So these are all the bikes I can ride? Can I try them out first?”

“Yeah, but don’t go very far. I’ve got an app keeping an eye on them.”

“Cool. Bye.”

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He didn’t wait for me to explain further, but ran toward the racks so fast that I thought he would barrel into them. A small hand on my arm stopped me from chasing after him.

“Don’t worry. He’s careful. He won’t hurt the bikes. We won’t go far because of mom.” Since I wasn’t worried about the bicycles, I looked down into brown eyes, a solemn face, and curly sable hair. “I’m Leslie. Everyone calls me Lee. My brother throws himself into his activities. I don’t. Can we choose any of the bicycles?”

I glanced up at their uncle who shrugged at me. The small hand let go of my arm, so I looked down at Lee again.

“Yes. You have three choices. One, you can select a bike and ride it the entire time you’re here. Two, you could come back to the garage and pick another one to ride for the day, the half-day, the hour, or however long you want it. That means if you wanted, you could ride every bike in this place in one day. Or your third choice, you could stay at the bakery and not go bike riding at all.” I winked at her. “I would choose the bakery except then I’d look like a human lead balloon if I did.”

She giggled and put her hand on my arm again.

“I like you, Mr. Dan. I think we’ll get along fine.” She nodded and gave me a long assessing once over. “Don’t worry. You don’t look like a balloon at all. Not at all.”

If she’d been in her teens, I would have thought she was flirting. But Lee seemed as if she was merely making an observation.

I liked both kids and their approaches to life. I’d be willing to bet Charlie would like them too when he got up from his nap and met them.

Unlike her brother, Lee sauntered over to the bikes, many of which were now askew thanks to Mack’s unsorting process. She carefully started to right those tossed aside. She stopped at a turquoise bicycle, hopped on, and waved to me and her uncle as she sped away. Her brother was long gone. The bike rack still needed straightening which would give me something to do while Charlie snoozed.

I started toward it. Rick had surged across the street and was striding up to me.

“Here. I’ll help.” He stood staring down at the mishmash of bikes. “If you show me how to untangle them without making things worse.”

I nodded.

“I don’t get it. Aren’t you afraid people will just take off with your bikes and you’ll never see them again?”

I watched him bend over to pick up one on the ground. My groin tightened at the sight. We were going out to dinner. Together. Soon. My heart and dick lifted as my mind piled up image after image of dinner and afterward. It was about time for me to get back in the saddle as it were.

 

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Cheryl on Cajun's Cabinet for Reviews wrote:

Dan packs him and his older house mate up moving to a small town looking for different environments, settled in a ghost town of a city until new a neighbor opened a bakery across the street. Rick was looking for a new start but never dreamed he would be looking while his sister and her two kids lived with him. Rick and Dan start off with just getting to know you but what happens for their first date could blow everything up. A cute little get to know them type of friends to lover to maybe more? Can the town of sidetrack handle all the cuteness this book brings.

Valerie on LoveBytes wrote:

Because of the unhurried progression of their relationship, the book lacks a sense of urgency. Dan and Rick’s relationship proceeds at the speed of snail. It’s slow, but not slow–burn since it’s lacking much passion. Conversely, there’s no insta-love, which pleases me greatly. Pat Henshaw’s approach to her characters falling in love is neither good or bad – it’s a matter of personal taste whether this more leisurely pace is to your liking. She has created a quiet holiday story, sometimes humorous, sometimes heart warming, and overall, very enjoyable. Happy endings are provided for everyone, not just the leading men, and it wraps up neatly into a nice holiday package.

Sharonica on Sharonica's Logical Reviews wrote:

5 Sugar and Spice Stars!

I adore Pat Henshaw’s novies because they pack so much heart, charm, and happiness between their covers (yes, THOSE covers too) you cannot help falling in love with every single character in the story.

“Heart of the Holidays,” begins right before the holiday season in October when local baker Rick and bicycle shop owner Dan are pushed together because of Rick’s niece and nephew who often make use of Rick’s bike rentals.

As the guys become friends the friendship evolves into something more with the season’s progression into the New Year. Soon Holidays are passing by and botched Family get togethers turn into found family reunions. This is the perfect Holiday afternoon read by a warm fire or Christmas tree lights.

on Book Gemz:

What I Liked…
This is was my first Pat Henshaw book. I really enjoyed the story. It was a fast-paced novella that will not lose your attention! The author embedded a number of obstacles in the way of the two main characters uniting. Crazy ex-lovers, homophobia, small town challenges, family, family, and of course family.

The main characters were well developed, each with their flaws, pasts, and anxieties. Both of them looking for a past to start over, happen to end up opening businesses across the street from each other. After a period of admiring from afar, one finally takes the chance of asking for a date. There was some unsuccessful woo-ing involved, but don’t worry, it does end up being a happily ever after story.

A Forewarning…
There is a surprise ending to the novella. I am a little torn on that surprise ending….as it explains a few little things in the book that I read and thought “that was a little odd way to say that”, but then others in the book that made me call into question. With all that said….it was a cute ending & surprise.

The Bottomline…
I know this is a shorter review than my normal ones, but the story is good (IMHO) and packed with lots of things, I am trying real hard not to give too much away!

Linda on Queeromance Ink wrote:

Putting the past where it belongs and taking a chance on a new beginning is what Heart of the Holidays is all about, and the surprise ending is worth the wait.

Anne on Drops of Ink wrote:

I enjoyed this sweet romance about two men getting to know, and falling for, each other in a small town. Although I figured out who exactly Charlie was early on in the story, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I loved how his presence was a constant throughout, and the effect he had on everyone he met.

****

I thought the ending was very sweet and totally the HEA these guys deserve.

Rache Reed on Rachel Reed Reviews wrote:

This was a sweet contemporary, opposites attract Holiday Romance.

I loved how the author portrayed a sweet slowburn burn friends to lovers romance between Dan and Rick.

This book gave me all the feels with a splash of holiday cheer.

The storyline was engaging and the characters were likeable, relatable and well fleshed out.

If you like an adorable, slowburn, friends to lovers romance laced with a little holiday magic, be sure to give this one a go.


Blame It on the Fruitcake

Fruitcake is the laughingstock of the holiday season. But can it be an aphrodisiac instead? Motorcycle mechanic Sam McGuire is surprised to find a gaily wrapped box on his doorstep with a piece of fruitcake accompanying an invitation to a holiday party.

Wondering if he’ll fit in, Sam attends the party—mostly to get more of the fruitcake he falls in love with—and meets Jay Merriweather, his new neighbor. The lure of Jay’s big family and its holiday tradition of enjoying Grandma’s fruitcake hook Sam, as does the sexy man himself.

But Sam can't imagine why handsome, college-educated Jay would want someone like him, who was raised in a children’s home and barely graduated high school. Maybe the magic of the holiday season can help two men who seem so different come together like the ingredients in a well-made fruitcake.

Published:
Publisher: JMS Books (https://www.jms-books.com/)
Editors:
JM Snyder
Cover Artists:
Written Ink Designs
Genres:
contemporary, holiday, MM, romance
Tags:
contemporary, family, fruitcake, gay romance, grandmother, LGBTQ+, MM, motorcycle mechanic, movie scout, non-series title, POC
Excerpt:

“Hi there. Did I hear you say you’re the neighbor from down the hall?” At my nod, the new guy added, “Let’s get you a drink and introduce you to a few people.”

Now here was my kinda man. Like me, on the street, nobody’d probably guess he was gay. Only not like me, since I looked like the bike mechanic I am, he looked like one of the bankers I’d talked to last week. He was a couple inches shorter than me, with conservative-cut hair, blue eyes, and a trustworthy face. He looked like he cared whether I was having a good time or not.

“Uh, sure. That’d be great.”

I couldn’t figure out how I was supposed to act. If I wasn’t bullshitting with friends, my words usually dried up. Fortunately it hadn’t happened at the bank when I was presenting my case for a loan to a guy who looked like him, or I’d have been fucked.

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So I let this guy lead me around, introducing me, telling me something about everyone, and letting them know I lived at the other end of the hall.

At one point he stared at me with a funny twinkle in his eyes and asked, “You’re not by any chance McGuire’s Bikes, are you?”

I managed to nod. I was stunned. It wasn’t like I was famous or anything.

He beamed. “No shit! Wow! I wanted to meet you after the Reno Roadshow. I loved your Loose and Wild Rainbow. Great bike.”

Ah, yes, L&WR, the winner of the Roadshow competition. I’d tricked out the bike for a buddy of mine who died of AIDS. He wanted the bike to be a memorial, but so far we couldn’t locate a cemetery or burial place where we could put his ashes and his machine. We were finding that burial laws by the ocean and in the mountains were pretty archaic and exclusive. If we wanted a bike cut into marble, no problem. But Harry hadn’t been a stone monument sorta guy.

“Uh, thanks. Yeah, it was a special kinda project,” I mumbled.

Even with the music, the shouting people, and the yelling when a couple were caught under the mistletoe, the guy still heard me.

He put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a hug. “Yeah, I know. He’ll be missed.”

Now my head was reeling. What the fuck? He knew Big Harry?

“I met Harry when I was a kid hanging around my buddy’s dad’s garage,” he said.

“Where’d you grow up?” I asked. After I’d had a couple drinks, the pumping music, the blinking Christmas lights, and the strangers laughing and yelling were making the night surreal. This handsome, clean-cut guy had known Harry? I must be dreaming. He and Harry looked light years apart.

“Little town outside Denver in the foothills. Deer Creek. You probably heard Harry talk about it. Not the place you want to grow up gay.” His laugh was short and dismissive.

“Yeah, so Harry always said.” I shifted to my other foot and looked down at the red plastic cup of punch. This was the last one for me tonight. I still hadn’t found the fruitcake. “So you go to bike shows?”

“Yup. The best part of my job.” He shrugged with a happy grin.

“Yeah? What do you do?”

We were bumped and separated by an incoming group. They exclaimed over my new friend, one of the women smothering him with kisses. He glowed with embarrassment and shot me a rueful glance. As the sea parted us, I drifted away looking for the food table and hoped it held enough fruitcake that I could steal some and not out myself as a thief.

I’d eaten three pieces and was busy wrapping up a fourth in napkins to take with me when my new nameless friend walked up and stood next to me.

“You like the fruitcake, huh?” He was smiling like I’d really pleased him.

“Yeah. I’d never tasted it until I got some with the invitation.”

He gave me a tiny smile and shook his head, his eyes twinkling as if laughing at some cosmic joke.

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Sammy on The Novel Approach wrote:

Author Pat Henshaw is a new author for me and I can honestly say, based on this little gem of a story, I will be looking up her backlist ASAP. Sam is such a sweet guy under his gruff exterior. Everything about him, from the way in which he dresses to his rough dialogue, was just so right and realistic. I honestly felt both these main characters were the perfect example of guys I’d be likely to meet in real life. There was such a genuine air about this author’s writing that made this instant attraction between Sam and Jay so understandable and believable.

Sam’s past created such a deep well of loneliness within him that it lent credibility to his automatic decisions that he would never be good enough for Jay. Jay’s admissions of feeling like he was pretending to be something he’s not allowed Sam to understand that appearance really is not all it’s cracked up to be, and it’s what lies beneath the exterior that really counts.

Blame It on the Fruitcake is a sweet and funny love story. A perfect morsel of yummy goodness for this holiday season!