Reviewed by Taylor

TITLE: Rebound

AUTHOR: Chris Scully

SERIES: Dreamspinner Press 2013 Advent Calendar package “Heartwarming”

LENGTH: 67 pages

BLURB: Christmas is a time for peace, love, and goodwill toward mankind. Not! More like cheating exes and absentee friends. For Emmett Byrd, spending the holiday season with his old college friend Terry in San Diego is supposed to be about mending his broken heart. But when Terry deserts him at the last minute, leaving Emmett alone in his condo for Christmas, it’s just the icing on the cake of a crappy year full of betrayal and lost love. The only Christmas spirit this Scrooge is feeling is the alcoholic kind. Then a slightly kooky, unsophisticated farm boy named Sky knocks on the door looking for Terry, and a case of mistaken identity reawakens Emmett’s hope in happily ever after.

REVIEW:

Chris Scully is one of my go-to authors for a “happy place” read.  Everything she writes has such an ease about them and I know she will handle her characters and readers with care.  There isn’t any sex in this and no happily ever after, but that just made me love it more, because I felt the nervous excitement for the future just as Emmett felt.

Emmett Byrd has just ended a 12 year relationship with his partner that cheated on him.  A partner that criticized his rigidness (no puns, please) and criticized that he was unwilling to true new things and take chances.  His long-term friend Terry invites him to San Diego during the holidays for a misery loves company gathering for the two of them.  Only problem is when Emmett arrives Terry has reconciled with his on-and-off again lover and leaves Emmett alone at his place.  Left to his own devices – and Terry’s extensive wine collection – Emmett finds himself wallowing and drinking to numb out the painful feelings.

A random knock on Terry’s door introduces Emmett to Sky.  Sky is a mystery for the majority of the book.  How does he know Terry?  Why is he so helpful and nice and non-judgmental to a total stranger.  He’s a bit stereotypical in that nice Farm-boy way, but on a holiday short, what else really am I looking for?  He’s probably too perfect, but he made me smile and the way he made Emmett smile and feel was what made me love this story.

The best aspect of Sky and Emmett’s journey is that Sky knows that Emmett needs to feel settled, needs to come to terms with the pain he feels, and that understanding and knowledge and confidence will make him a better man and a better partner.  Just a really sweet and lovely short for the holidays.

Note to the author: I’d LOVE to see Terry and his boyfriend have their own story where they finally make it work OR Terry finally finds a man that treats him right and knocks him on his ass.  Please?

Taylor’s Rating:

BUY LINKS: Dreamspinner Press  ::  Amazon  ::  ARE

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ADVENT CALENDER EVENT

Dreamspinner Press and The Blog of Sid Love bring to you an opportunity where you get to win a free set of DSP’s “Heartwarming” Advent Calender 2013. Yes! The full set with 31 stories including contributions from authors like Andrew Grey, Cardeno C., Grace R. Duncan, and many more…

If you wish to enter yourself into this contest, all you have to do is comment on every advent event post we make each day till the end of this month. Look out for titles with “Advent Calender Event” mentioned in them (such as this one) and the posts will be reviews on each and every story from this anthology.

The contest will end on 1st January, 2014 and the winners will be announced on the 2nd of January.

So, good luck to you all and Happy Holidays!