Title: Letters from Cupid
Author: Ari McKay
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Category: Contemporary, Holiday
Pages: 94
After breaking up with his partner, English professor Dr. Derek Chandler feels like a failure who will never win at romance. His aloof colleague, Dr. Macon Pinney, disagrees and pens an anonymous note of encouragement to Derek, which he signs “Cupid.” Thus begins an exchange of correspondence, a courtship through words where the two men find out they have a great deal in common. Meanwhile, Derek reaches out to Macon, not knowing Macon is his anonymous pen pal. Derek reveals through his letters that someone close by has piqued his interest. Could he mean Macon—or has Macon missed his opportunity and lost Derek to another man?
Perhaps the time has come for Cupid to put in an appearance, and when better to do so than Valentine’s Day?
First Edition published by Torquere Press, 2015.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
Professor Derek Chandler and his boyfriend have broken up and it doesn't leave him feeling as heartbroken as he should after their three years together. He's beginning to doubt that he's capable of feeling long-term passion for somebody, or inspiring long-term passion in them. Now that he's no longer a young man, maybe it's time to accept that he's going to be single. Overhearing Derek talking to a fellow professor about his breakup and feelings, Macon can't believe that the man next door who is so passionate about his teaching can't inspire passion in others. In a move totally unlike Macon, he types a letter to Derek encouraging him to not give up on love, signs it as Cupid and hangs it outside Derek's door.
Derek is intrigued and nervous about who this Cupid person is, but he decides to respond to Cupid and so begins a communication between the two men that grows flirty. The letter cheers Derek up, and he makes sure to try and spread the cheer and makes it an effort to friendly with Macon, whose office is next door to us. They strike up a friendship and Derek is able to see behind that shy, standoffish personality that the rest of the university experiences. It isn't long before Derek finds himself attracted to both Macon and Cupid.
I'm not a big fan of novellas or even holiday themed books, but I've found I enjoy Ari McKay's writing so I couldn't pass up reading Letters from Cupid and I'm glad I did. Both men are successful and settled in their jobs and though their personalities appear to be opposites, they really have more in common the more they get to know each other. There was one item I noted when reading, the two men, both Americans living in America, mentioned adding an item to a "CV". In the U.S., we say resume, not CV. Obviously a minor detail, though it did interrupt my reading while I reviewed what I had read to confirm where the men were from and currently lived. This was a sweet, short, romantic story with a beautiful HEA!
Rating: 4 stars
Hi there! We're so glad you enjoyed the story! It was one we really enjoyed writing, too! (And as a small note, in academia the term CV is used widely, even in the US. A small pretension I think, since it sounds so much more impressive than resume!) Thanks again!!!
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