Review:  Fragile as Glass by Pat Henshaw

Rating: 4🌈

Fragile as Glass by Pat Henshaw is a wonderful, slightly mystical romance in JMS Books LLC’s  Gay Advent Calendar this year.  

Henshaw does such an excellent job in creating the character of glass artist Ashton Snell, complete with compelling history that explores and helps the reader really understand him, his personality, including his disability, and the slightly magical gift  that he inherited from his grandfather.  Ashton is so well written that he and this narrative need a longer story to completely dive into all the many elements and characters this author has created here.

The other main character is singer/rock star/songwriter Hunter who just isn’t as layered a character but has the ability to grow into something special.  He’s intriguing but there’s so much to Ashton that anyone would be a lesser individual with this story. There’s not enough pages for equal development.

He comes with a good backstory, two  side characters ( a bodyguard and his boyfriend , a chef) that I also wanted more of. Especially Gil, that bodyguard, because in a tv show or on stage, he’s what’s called a “scene stealer”.  He’s that dynamic.

There’s also something fascinating going on, plot wise, that Henshaw pulls together here.  After giving us an idea of the intriguing place where Ashton lives, a home turned compound that his grandfather started and has filled with artists.  Ashton has two long time friends,fellow artists, and the author begins a storyline about a changing new dynamic between them, not a welcome one.

It’s a great plot. But that’s not what the story is about, and it has nowhere  to go. It’s dropped. But I certainly was glued to this aspect of the story and it’s still there in my mind, going back over what the author might have done with more pages to really explore this aspect of Ashton’s life.

The romance between Ashton and Hunter is magical, quick, with a dramatic moment and then a sweet ending. That seems a bit rushed.  But that is my preference for longer stories in general and this is in keeping with the spirit of the story. 

Fragile as Glass by Pat Henshaw is a lovely story.  It’s got so many interesting elements and well done characters that I wish it was twice its length or a prequel for more of this universe to come. 

It’s another win for this author and the delightful press, JMS Books LLC.  Check them out!

Buy link

https://www.jms-books.com/pat-henshaw-c-224_462/fragile-as-glass-p-5281.html

Blurb 

A scrying stone says after his gift is destroyed, a famous songwriter will fall in love. Will the stone’s prediction come true?

Glass artist Ashton Snell is delighted when superstar singer/songwriter Hunter Davidson walks into his shop looking for a gift for a friend. On a whim Ashton looks through a scrying glass to see what’s in store for Hunter in the future. The stone shows a vision of the glass unicorn gift shattering and Hunter falling in love. Should Ashton tell Hunter what he’s seen?

Before he can decide, Hunter asks him to lunch. Ashton agrees although he’s surprised someone as celebrated as Hunter would want to be seen with him. Despite living with it since birth, Ashton is still self-conscious about his limp. Hunter, however, doesn’t seem to notice it.

Could their lunch be the beginning of a lasting friendship? Or will their attraction turn into something more?