Why I read this book: Hi guys! A short while ago, I was asked by Brigham Vaughn if I wanted to review this book as it was coming out soon. While I’m swamped with books to read, a delicious looking short story was too hard to resist. My first story of the author and I really liked it ❤ Hope y’all will check it out *g*
Blurb: Arthur Cain has removed himself from a social life littered with mistakes and unhappiness. When a freak April snowstorm hits, he just wants to stock up on the basics so he can get back to writing his thesis. Samuel Richards is a musician with a wicked sense of humor and he knows how to use it. The last thing he expected was to have it save him when he heads out for supplies and everything falls apart. The storm sends both to the grocery store, but neither had a “date” on their shopping list.
It’s one disaster after another for Samuel, but the history student comes to his rescue. If only Arthur was as good dealing with live men as he was with dead Vikings.
Publisher: Brigham Vaughn
Publication Date: April 27th, 2014
Page Count: about 45 pgs
Excerpt of “The French Toast Emergencies”
He glanced at the rapidly emptying shelves and sighed heavily. With some effort, he finally squeezed through the traffic snarl and reached for the last loaf of bread right as another hand closed in on it. His gaze flew to the man beside him. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, like Arthur, but taller and lankier. His brown hair was curly and long-ish, sticking up every which way. He had brown eyes and scruffy facial hair. His grin nearly made Arthur let go of the bread.
“Uhm, I think this was mine,” the cute guy said, tugging on the loaf.
“No, pretty sure it was mine,” Arthur protested, tightening his grip. He always rewarded a particularly productive day’s work with grilled cheese and tomato soup.
“You could get raisin bread,” the other guy suggested.
“Eww, you can’t make grilled cheese with raisin bread.”
“Sure you can. Just think, melty cheddar with raisin bread. Mmm.”
On second thought, maybe that didn’t sound so bad. However … “Still gross with tomato soup,” Arthur pointed out, gesturing to the half dozen cans in his cart with the hand that wasn’t clutching the bread.
The other guy made a face but didn’t let go. “Fair enough.”
Arthur tugged at the loaf gently. “So you’re going to give me the bread?”
The other guy laughed, leaning against the shelves as if he was getting comfortable. “Nope.”
“Uhm—” Arthur mentally calculated how long the storm would last and the number of slices he’d need before then “—we could split the loaf.”
“Fine. You let me have the loaf, I’ll pay for it, and we can split it after we go through the register.”
Arthur hesitated. “I really need this bread. How do I know you won’t disappear with my half?” He shook his head. “No deal.”
“But if there can be no arrangement, then we are at an impasse.”
Arthur broke into a grin. “Are you quoting Princess Bride to me?”
“Maybe.” The answering grin was cheeky.
My Review:
Cover: Often it is quite obvious that no great effort went into covers of some short stories. With this one it is easy to see that thought was put into the cover; it works perfectly with the story. A nice design ❤
Title: The title fits very well with the story, shows the humor and makes people curious about it as many will wonder about the title and read the blurb to find out what the story is about 🙂
Story: I really liked this story. After the winter storms of this year, it felt very current and the situation was easy to sympathize with. Arthur’s narrator voice was humorous and down to earth. He felt like a friend and it was easy to connect with him and Samuel. Interesting how the mind works, though. In my head Arthur was older than he actually is, more a writer in his early 40s than a student writing his Thesis. I don’t know why, but for me this was a May/December romance. That’s the thing about books, though. Readers have their own vision of the story in their head cinema. However I might have imagined them, though, the important thing is that I loved how the events of the story pushed these likable men together. They felt real, acted real and it made their sweet romance so much more poignant. They weren’t just random characters, in just 45 pages they became friends and I laughed with them, felt my heart warm as they realized what they might have found in each other and totally believed their love story. I cared for them and with just a few pages that is an incredible achievement!
I think a winter storm like this and the other events that drive them together and isolate them in a happy bubble make their fast-developing feelings very credible. For me it isn’t insta love – they spend a lot of time together on their long and usual first date. I’ve seen events like this drive people together very fast and furious; the real question is what remains of the magic once everything returns to normal again. I loved the honest way these concerns were addressed and for me it didn’t take anything away from the magic 🙂
There is some angst in this story as previous experiences influence one of the characters and make him more cautious. I think everyone has had moments where they were so afraid of repeating past mistakes that they forgot to embrace the present. Opening oneself up for something new is always a risk, but sometimes it’s worth it! The concerns of the main protagonists felt valid and made the story real and the characters feel very human and were resolved in a way that felt true to the story. Generally, it is a very light and sweet tale, perfect when you want to curl up in bed on a nasty day. It definitively helped me to decide that I wanted to read more stories by this author. Get cozy and be prepared to laugh and smile and have a great time with this comfort read 🙂
My Rating:
Buy Links:
Author Bio: Brigham Vaughn has always been a voracious reader with her own stories to tell. After many years of abandoned plots, something finally clicked. Now she’s eating, sleeping, and breathing writing and is excited to have finally figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. In the little time that isn’t spent writing or reading, she loves cooking, yoga, photography, and remodeling her ninety-year-old home. Brigham lives in Michigan with her four cats and an amazing husband who has always been her biggest champion.
Contact Links:
Author Website: http://brighamvaughn.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brigham.vaughn?fref=ts
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7578712.Brigham_Vaughn
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Brigham-Vaughn/e/B00HVNTNSE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Twitter: @AuthorBVaughn
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