Release Day Review: Shoulder Season by Jackie

Title: Shoulder Season
Author: Jackie North
Release Date: August 10, 2018
Category: Contemporary, World of Love
Pages: 84

Dreamspinner Press

Two young men from two different countries find a common language as they recover from broken hearts and broken bones. Can they rebuild their lives together?

Ben’s boyfriend has not only dumped him, he’s also cancelled their mutual travel plans. Since Ben has the time off and the money saved up, he decides to travel anyway, and based on a last-minute, very inexpensive red-eye airline fare, ends up in Reykjavik, Iceland.

He’s ill-prepared for the weather and knows nothing about the country, so he considers flying home the next day. Except his new neighbor, Solvin, a local Icelander who is currently on leave from work due to a car accident, shows up with a cane and shoulder sling and literally falls into Ben’s apartment. It’s the beginning of an adventure that might show Ben how good life can be… and that coming home sometimes means traveling halfway around the world.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

3.75 stars

This was a sweet easy to read short story. We first meet Ben and Solvin and I thought that Ben was going to be the overly friendly one and Solvin be more broody. However, that quickly changes in the book. Ben is still friendly but also a little insecure in himself because of his jerk of an ex-boyfriend Alan. I got to the point in the story that I just wanted to stop hearing about Alan and have it focus more on Ben and Solvin.

At first, Solvin seems a little exasperated by his surroundings in general, because he is hurt and does not seem to like to have to depend on people. However, once he lets Ben start helping him, he turns into a slightly shy pile of mushy sweetness. The MCs were quick to be comfortable with each other and basically decide to make life-changing decisions about each other. However, this is a short story so it makes sense that that would be the case. I would not mind reading a little more about these two guys, maybe once their relationship was a bit more established.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***