December 18th

Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: Old Acquaintance

SERIES: Sleigh Ride (2015 Advent Calendar)

AUTHOR: Avon Gale

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

BLURB:

Andrew Starling thought when he sold his medical database software to a national corporation, it would finally give him and his wife the financial security needed to build their dream home in the exclusive, wealthy community of Ponte Vedra, Florida. But Andrew’s wife leaves him for another man before the ink dries on the contract, leaving Andrew to enjoy the fruits of his labors—and their sprawling, oceanfront home—all alone. Despite being convinced he has nothing much to celebrate, Andrew goes to the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club’s annual New Year’s Eve party… and meets Elias Rivas, the young, good-looking server who’s always had his eye on Andrew. It might be the new beginning Andrew didn’t even know he needed.

REVIEW:

I absolutely loved this anthology addition by Avon Gale, the first story that I’ve read by this author. It wasn’t actually a Christmas tale, instead it was set on New Years Eve, but still it engenders the perfect feeling of holiday romance.

Andrew Starling isn’t big on socializing, but having recently lost his wife to another man he refuses to ring in the New Year alone. Which is how he finds himself surrounded by a crowd of similarly well off strangers at the “local club” – yet still alone. Until he’s joined on the beach by one of the hot young waitstaff who has just finished work, and who also doesn’t want to celebrate the night with only himself for company. When the clock counts down and they share a scorching midnight kiss, they realize that they may have found the perfect someone to start the New Year with.

There’s a lot about this story that is clichéd – the rich older man (21 years difference), the student who is waiting on rich people to pay his way through school, the kiss on an empty beach at midnight… But the author uses all those well-loved chestnuts perfectly to give us a modern version of a classic holiday fairytale.

I’ve mentioned many times that I’m not a fan of fully formed sex scenes in stories which are so short, but here Avon Gale proves that it can work well. The sex between Andrew and Elias was expertly used to push both characters into discovering new and exciting things, most noticeably with previously straight (yet vaguely bi-curious) Andrew. I appreciated the fact that Andrew was going from having a wife to sleeping with a man wasn’t made into a huge deal. This story wasn’t the right place for drama like that. Instead, in my opinion, the author got it right, by giving the two men their perfect, sexy night together and leaving the reader with that sense of having witnessed what could be a holiday “miracle”. The story definitely finishes on feelings of hope and peace.

But…ok, usually I try not to be one of those readers. You know – “It was too short!” “I need to know what happens next!” “When is the sequel due out!” But…I apologize Ms. Gale, for this story I need to make an exception. No, the story wasn’t too short, it was a perfect piece for a holiday short but I truly hope that one day the author decides to give these men a full novel. They still have so many issues to face to reach their actual Happily Ever After and I’ve fallen in love with thought of what their journey could be.

Happy holiday reading!

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

Dreamspinner Press – Single Story

Dreamspinner Press – Anthology

Amazon