Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Sweet Anticipation
SERIES: Homemade for the Holidays: Dreamspinner Press 2019 Advent Calendar #30
AUTHOR: Andrew Grey
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 46 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2019
BLURB:
Greg Hansen’s pregnant sister is on bed rest, so it falls to Greg to finalize the arrangements for her best friend’s bachelorette party. Little does he know he’s in for a sweet surprise. When he arrives at the bakery recommended to him, he comes face to face with the man he never should’ve let get away—Rhys Denning.
Rhys’s business is booming with the holidays approaching, so he can’t agree to cater the party without help—and that means Greg getting his hands dirty in the kitchen, where the two reconnect over sugar, spice, holiday goodies of all kinds, and even some penis-shaped baguettes! But the most satisfying treat might be the second chance they never thought they’d get.
REVIEW:
It’s hard to write such short stories that still make you swoon, but this one does the job. It’s a flash read, but it’ll leave you all warm and fuzzy!
Greg, a hardworking businessman, must plan a bachelorette party for his beloved sister’s friend, a job he’s completely unsuited for. Then he must deal with the caterer being Rhys, his old college flame who broke his heart years ago. The two men put their past aside and become friends again over baking lessons and penis-shaped baguettes. Bitter memories are forgotten and the flame is rekindled, just in time for the holidays!
Though it’s a short story, it’s all about that sweet build-up—Greg and Rhys have been waiting years for closure, and now that they’re delicious reunion is so close, they just want to get the finishing touches done on the party so they can be alone! Of course, in a fluffy holiday snack like this, we have to use our imaginations, but their happy ending is executed perfectly.
Greg and Rhys are good characters with nice, easy chemistry, though in a longer story, we’d get that history between them that makes the reunion so much more intense. I also like the minor characters, especially Greg’s bossy sister. The ending is completely adorable, if a little sickly-sweet (which is okay with me around Christmas). And any story involved naughty baked goods is ace in my book, so I was already into it from the first page.
Though Andrew Grey is a prolific M/M writer, this is my first work by him, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe 2020 will bring many more of his books to my shelves! Happy holidays, fellow readers!
RATING: 
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Interested to read a short by Andrew
I’m slowly making my way through these stories.
Looking forward to giving this a read when I can find the time. Thank you for the review!
This one definitely appeals to me!
Ooooh! Second chances! My fav trope in Christmas stories