Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
The holidays are a time for second chances.
Warren Blessing lost his wife (two years ago), and his kids decide he’s been alone too long. They send him on a holiday singles cruise so he can meet someone new.
On the flight from Chicago to Miami, he sits next to an attractive man, but when the flight’s over, he doesn’t think he’ll see him again.
Fletcher Hammond is a professional mystery shopper for vacation destinations and travel. After a split from his unfaithful fiancé, he’s embarking on a singles cruise. He meets a lovely gentleman on the flight, whose conversation and cocktails help Fletcher through his fear of takeoffs, but he doesn’t expect to see him again.
As if by fate, a meeting in the ship’s dining room renews their mutual attraction. But can they build a relationship with distance and baggage working against them? Or will they part ways when they return to port?
Warren’s Peace by Emjay Haze has a number of familiar elements to it, two strangers on a plane are attracted to each other, deplane expecting never to see each other again only to find that very thing happens at the next destination. Here it’s a single’s cruise at Christmas time. Warren is there because his grown children have booked it for him. He’s lonely after the long illness and death of his wife and wants to move forward. Fletcher is there because of his job.
This is really a sweet, no angst story. Warren was aware he was gay before he got married as did his wife, but he fell in love with her and got married. As his preferences has been only men before her, he’s ready date men again. When he meets Fletcher on the ship again, he makes it plain he’s ready to mingle with men, not women. The two develop an onboard relationship which turns into something more once the cruise is over. Haze works hard to turn an instant love into a believable HEA and for the most part it works. Both men are at the right stages of their lives and seem perfect for each other in every way.
If I had one issue here, its Warren is calling himself first gay, then bisexual. Warren had only dated men, then fell in love with the person that was his wife but there sex life for him was unsatisfactory. He loved her and their kids without a doubt, but his attraction remained to men. I think if the author is going to make Warren bisexual or even pansexual then you should go for a layered portrait. But 51 pages is not enough to interpret or untangle the sexual sort of mess that is Warren Blessing. And now with Fletcher Hammond in the picture, he doesn’t have to. Nor does the author.
.If none of that bothers you, then you might adore this. It’s sweet and has a HEA which is perfect for the holidays.
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde Media. Didn’t do anything for me. The guy is gorgeous but where are the other elements? Tells me nothing about the story and the characters are older.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 2nd Edition, 51 pages
Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press (first published June 21st 2016)
ISBN 139781644050439
Edition Language English
Their favorite holiday is going away. Will it take their friendship with it?
After Andrew’s boyfriend dumps him just before Christmas, he decides to take a job far, far away from city life. It’s a dishwashing job on a remote island off the coast of Georgia. Expecting sunshine, palm trees, and some quality alone time, Andrew is surprised to find alligators, mosquitoes, rattlesnakes, and Garrett—a devilishly handsome naturalist. Andrew desperately tries to resist Garrett’s charm, because a twice-broken heart before Christmas is just not an option. Besides Andrew’s new friend Anna might already have a thing for Garrett.
When John Trent, a dedicated member of the new Bow Street Runners, finds an exquisite carved angel floating in the Thames, he can’t stop thinking about it. He tracks down its creator, a sad and quiet young sculptor. But neither the angel nor the sculptor is done with John just yet. The blasted angel refuses to leave him be, behaving not at all like an inanimate object should.
When Eugene Montgomery comes to the Turtle R&R to report he found a nest of turtle eggs on the beach and it appears some eggs are already damaged, biologist Nor O’Brien rushes to save them.
This was a little bit of a surprise. Not often are Christmas themed books full length. We get a lot of shorts and novellas. So even though the time span (not including epilogue) is less than two weeks, it is packed full enough for a regular sized book.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 