Reviewed by Cinnamon
TITLE: Better with Bacon
AUTHOR: Matthew Lang
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 95 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 22, 2017
BLURB:
When Patrick’s long-term girlfriend Li Ling dumps him just as he’s working up the nerve to propose, he ends up drunk on David’s couch—and later in David’s bed. Although initially reluctant to pursue anything beyond a one-time drunken tryst, David throws caution to the wind during an intimate dinner, where the two men also discuss Patrick’s dream of entering the food industry. Just as the friends-turned-lovers are settling into their new romance, Li Ling calls Patrick—she’s pregnant.
Convinced the announcement spells the end of their love affair and a return to their platonic friendship, David flees to Sydney to escape his heartbreak. But upon his return to Melbourne, David discovers the situation hasn’t gone the way he’d expected. There might still be a chance for David and Patrick’s dreams to come true if they can forgive each other’s mistakes and move forward.
REVIEW:
Matthew Lang is a new author for me and I think he is a very talented writer. I really love his style and his love for food. The way he described everything food related was truly mouthwatering and real fun.
I love best friends-to-lovers stories and was very excited to see what happens with David and Patrick. I wasn’t disappointed. Although I didn’t get what I expected, it’s always good to see a variety of how this scenario can happen. You don’t have to agree with or approve of everything that’s going on here to still enjoy this short story.
David and Patrick have been best friends since their childhood, but most of their lives Patrick had a girlfriend. That explains why he never told his best friend about his attraction toward guys, especially David. When Patrick is suddenly dumped, there is nothing in their way anymore and their mutual attraction leads to some hot sexytime and they discover that they are not only compatible as friends but also as lovers.
I really don’t want to give any spoilers, so I just say some parts of the story line was not really for my taste. However, I’m truly happy that their conflict didn’t last too long and that they could talk it out. I can see their wonderful future together. Their compatibility is clear. They are on the same wavelength and nothing can stop them from being happy together. I really enjoyed how they completely accept and understand each other. It was a relatively smooth sailing, with Patrick accepting his new status in a heartbeat. Some writers spend books on these kinds of inner struggles but we only have total confidence and acceptance, which I really liked. Their love for each other is clear, but I couldn’t really feel their in-love status.
The ending was a bit rushed for me but it must be rooted in my desire to read more and more about these guys. I really like them together and I hope we see some more of them in future books.
RATING: 
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TAGS: mm, contemporary, better with bacon, Matthew Lang, Lovebyte Reviews, short story, australia