Reviewed by Elizabetta
TITLE: Falling For You
AUTHOR: Matthias Williamson
PUBLISHER: Goodreads M/M Romanc e Group/Love’s Landscapes event
LENGTH: 41 pages
STORY PHOTO:
STORY PROMPT:
Dear Author,
Due to a very embarrassing accident I am stuck at home. Broken leg. My profession requires a lot of exercise, so not being able to move around freely drives me crazy. One morning while sipping my coffee and browsing the internet on my tablet, I spotted the most gorgeous guy just outside my balcony. He was so engrossed in talking to the dog he’d been walking that day, that he hadn’t noticed me watching. In hope of seeing him again and maybe for a chance to get to talking I had every breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner on my balcony. Every day. I knew it was crazy but I just had to see him again. I did. For days I had been watching him and his dog play at the park across the street. One day, when he actually noticed me, it was everything I could have hoped for and more.
The only problem: his dog is his entire world. Unfortunately I’ve been suffering from Cynophobia (terrible dog phobia) ever since I can remember. How can we find our HEA? He would never choose me over his dog…
REVIEW:
This unfolds quite differently with our getting to know one of the characters, Noah, by his journal entries to his sister. The use of a journal feels a bit awkward at first, especially in terms of trying to figure out what’s going on between Noah and his sister, but it made sense, reading on. It’s an unconventional, very personal way of looking into Noah’s motivation, and his relationship with his sister, who never appears in the story.
The other MC, March (Marcello), is laid up with a broken ankle, watching his own personal reality show unfold from the balcony of his Gramercy park home. Recuperating, ankle elevated, he has nothing much going on save peeping on the doings of his colorful neighbors. So, a little dash of Rear Window, in that respect, but without the mystery, and add in a humorous, slightly absurd feel to the story… Ok, well, March did remind me of the charming, slightly awkward Jimmy Stewart.
March has just kicked out an erstwhile lover and has moved onto his next interest, the handsome Noah, the (he thinks) blind dog walker who is part of the regulars who populate the neighborhood. Noah, just might be interested too, it seems…
There is an interesting quirkiness at work here, and some humorous scenes (For one, when March breaks his ankle on national TV while refereeing a professional football game and fighting with his ex by phone. All at the same time.) I hope this author continues to bring us his own special look at men in love, and especially March and Noah’s story… they only just get started here.
(I have to add that I’m so impressed with the wonderful Love’s Landscapes event which not only promotes established authors, but allows newer and emerging authors a chance to hone their skills— making their efforts available for FREE to readers. Where else can you get that?)
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