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Down on his luck is Gideon Joy’s default state. He doesn’t know why he expected anything different on his cross-country trip, but not surprisingly, the hits keep coming—literally this time. Gideon strikes a moose with his car in New Hampshire, not only totaling his own vehicle, but damaging one belonging to local construction worker Silas Bright. He has no choice but to stay in Lancaster and take a job that’ll pay for the repairs. And in a town so small, Gideon’s always running into Silas.
What starts as annoyance between them soon blooms into something much more romantic. But when Gideon’s notorious bad luck rears its head yet again, how many disastrous dates will Silas be willing to weather before realizing Gideon’s not worth it? Despite Gideon’s desire to remain in the quaint community that has accepted him as one of their own, past fears of inadequacy threaten the very joy he left Los Angeles to discover. If he’s to find a happily ever after with Silas, Gideon must learn that sometimes it’s okay to not be the best. And true happiness might be waiting in a small town nestled among the great White Mountains.
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
What starts as annoyance between them soon blooms into something much more romantic. But when Gideon’s notorious bad luck rears its head yet again, how many disastrous dates will Silas be willing to weather before realizing Gideon’s not worth it? Despite Gideon’s desire to remain in the quaint community that has accepted him as one of their own, past fears of inadequacy threaten the very joy he left Los Angeles to discover. If he’s to find a happily ever after with Silas, Gideon must learn that sometimes it’s okay to not be the best. And true happiness might be waiting in a small town nestled among the great White Mountains.
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
69 pages, ebook
First published April 5, 2017
31 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Poe
41 books1,298 followersC.S. Poe is an author of gay mystery, romance, and speculative fiction. She’s a winner of the Next Generation and e-Lit book awards, as well as a finalist of the Lambda Literary award.
She resides in New York City and is a Gilded Age New York historian and board director for the Victorian Society of New York. She loves Romanticism artwork, the films of Buster Keaton, coffee in the morning and whiskey in the evening, true crime, and cats. She’s rescued two cats—Milo and Kasper do their best to distract her from work on a daily basis.
C.S. is an alumna of the School of Visual Arts.
Her debut novel, The Mystery of Nevermore, was published 2016.
cspoe.com
She resides in New York City and is a Gilded Age New York historian and board director for the Victorian Society of New York. She loves Romanticism artwork, the films of Buster Keaton, coffee in the morning and whiskey in the evening, true crime, and cats. She’s rescued two cats—Milo and Kasper do their best to distract her from work on a daily basis.
C.S. is an alumna of the School of Visual Arts.
Her debut novel, The Mystery of Nevermore, was published 2016.
cspoe.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
July 13, 2019
3.5 Small Town Stars
This starts off with down on his luck tattoo artist Gideon, who’s trying to escape from his cutthroat lifestyle in LA. When he finds himself stranded in small town New Hampshire in order to pay off a moose induced car accident, he doesn’t know if this is the worst thing to happen or maybe the best.
What’s quite fortuitous is that said accident involves resident nice guy, shy Silas, whose reticence is just as intriguing as his steady reliable presence. As Gideon works to earn enough to fix two damaged vehicles, he becomes more and more enamored with the town and its inhabitants as well as Silas, realizing that perhaps taking it slow and appreciating the finer things in life just might be worth sticking around for.
It’s hard to do a gentle giant wrong and Poe doesn’t fail here. Ensue some dating shenanigans and mishaps as Silas and Gideon try to get to know each other despite the universe conspiring against them.
Poe continues to deliver as this was sweet quirky funny with a punch of feels. This was a States of Love win!
This starts off with down on his luck tattoo artist Gideon, who’s trying to escape from his cutthroat lifestyle in LA. When he finds himself stranded in small town New Hampshire in order to pay off a moose induced car accident, he doesn’t know if this is the worst thing to happen or maybe the best.
What’s quite fortuitous is that said accident involves resident nice guy, shy Silas, whose reticence is just as intriguing as his steady reliable presence. As Gideon works to earn enough to fix two damaged vehicles, he becomes more and more enamored with the town and its inhabitants as well as Silas, realizing that perhaps taking it slow and appreciating the finer things in life just might be worth sticking around for.
It’s hard to do a gentle giant wrong and Poe doesn’t fail here. Ensue some dating shenanigans and mishaps as Silas and Gideon try to get to know each other despite the universe conspiring against them.
Poe continues to deliver as this was sweet quirky funny with a punch of feels. This was a States of Love win!
April 10, 2017
I loved this cover from the moment I saw it. Then I read the blurb and saw the guy's name was Gideon. *growls*
It was a cute, low angst, fun read.
Gideon is having a mid-life crisis at 25. He decided to quit his job at a tattoo parlor in LA and drive to Maine. Then he hits a moose and the quietest mountain of a guy ever in New Hampshire, totaling both of their cars. And guess what? He's broke.
Gideon never expected to find himself smitten with what could possibly be the smallest town ever, but life sneaks up you sometimes. This little town and its inhabitants have charisma. They welcome him in, give him a place to stay and a job at a local restaurant.
I love reads that have chefery in them so that was another bonus for this novella. Being from a small town myself this read authentic regarding the inherent, but mostly harmless, gossipy nature of small town living. It is a novella so there's not a lot in the way of relationship development; things happen fast between Silas and Gideon.
There's an opposites attract trope at work with Silas being the strong, crazy shy and mostly silent to Gideon's outgoing vivaciousness. There's also a significant size difference between them that I was hoping more would be done with, but there are no sexy times.
When they decide to date it ends in disaster after disaster and leads to a mini conflict which is where the story lost traction for me. It was a little too melodramatic and contrived for me.
Still, it's a cute, easy, feel good short read that seems typical of Poe's writing, or at least what I've read of hers thus far.
A review copy was provided.
All Systems Are A Go!
It was a cute, low angst, fun read.
Gideon is having a mid-life crisis at 25. He decided to quit his job at a tattoo parlor in LA and drive to Maine. Then he hits a moose and the quietest mountain of a guy ever in New Hampshire, totaling both of their cars. And guess what? He's broke.
Gideon never expected to find himself smitten with what could possibly be the smallest town ever, but life sneaks up you sometimes. This little town and its inhabitants have charisma. They welcome him in, give him a place to stay and a job at a local restaurant.
I love reads that have chefery in them so that was another bonus for this novella. Being from a small town myself this read authentic regarding the inherent, but mostly harmless, gossipy nature of small town living. It is a novella so there's not a lot in the way of relationship development; things happen fast between Silas and Gideon.
There's an opposites attract trope at work with Silas being the strong, crazy shy and mostly silent to Gideon's outgoing vivaciousness. There's also a significant size difference between them that I was hoping more would be done with, but there are no sexy times.
When they decide to date it ends in disaster after disaster and leads to a mini conflict which is where the story lost traction for me. It was a little too melodramatic and contrived for me.
Still, it's a cute, easy, feel good short read that seems typical of Poe's writing, or at least what I've read of hers thus far.
A review copy was provided.
March 11, 2017
While this story was surprisingly cute, it still left me wanting a bit more.
At 25, Gideon was having a bit of a mid-life crisis, as he called it, after being brushed aside at his old job in LA for someone better. So he just sublet his apartment and left. One auto vs. moose accident later, he's stranded and in debt with very few options.
Silas was a quiet, well-liked carpenter and jack of all trades in his small New Hampshire town of 800 people, minding his own business, until a moose accident forced a tourist's car to crash into his own. Then everything changed for him in an instant.
For Gideon, too, but he didn't know that just quite yet.
I enjoyed the pages where Gideon and Silas were getting to know one another and I adored Gideon's somewhat limited interactions with the townsfolk.
But after their second disastrous date, the story fast forwards through their third, fourth, fifth and sixth disastrous dates and straight into almost-love.
It ended up feeling like all of the good parts, the ones that I live for in romance stories, the slow burn, was simply skipped over in a single paragraph.
Regarding the steam index, welllllll, that would rate around a one, which coincidentally was the number of kisses with tongue in the book. There is mention of them waking up together in the same bed at one point, but no explanation was given behind that happening.
So while I wanted to love this extremely fluffy story, their semi-abbreviated dating period, lack of heat, then immediate fall into living together felt lacking in the feels department for me.
With all that taken into consideration, I'd have to rate this short story at just under 3 stars.
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My ARC copy of the story was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
April 19, 2017
I really enjoyed the writing in this story, along with the characters and the small town setting. Sometimes I just want something short I can finish in one setting and this cute little book did the trick.
I was a little disappointed at the end though, because it felt like a whole lot of the story was rushed or skipped entirely. There were a lot of disastrous dates that happened off page and there was only 1 kiss on page with the rest maybe happening? At some point? With such a cute lead-up, I would have liked to see more development of the relationship and resolution of the UST on page. Still, this is my first book by this author and I liked the writing a lot, so I'll definitely try another.
I was a little disappointed at the end though, because it felt like a whole lot of the story was rushed or skipped entirely. There were a lot of disastrous dates that happened off page and there was only 1 kiss on page with the rest maybe happening? At some point? With such a cute lead-up, I would have liked to see more development of the relationship and resolution of the UST on page. Still, this is my first book by this author and I liked the writing a lot, so I'll definitely try another.
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French edition
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April 7, 2017
3.5 stars
What I liked:
+ The small-town setting. I LOVE small-town romance, I devour them but mostly in M/F genre. So I loved the town that C.S. Poe described here. The part where Silas told Gideon to "look up" took my breath away
+ Gideon's voice as sole narrator. Very entertaining :)
+ Silas is adorable; loved his quirky picky eater habits
+ Low steam *beams happily*
What I less liked:
+ Pretty much insta-everything, probably due to the length :(
+ The ending was abrupt for me; maybe it was the length so the story ended in a HFN. But still, it wasn't as satisfying. I would love to read few more chapters of these two.
What I liked:
+ The small-town setting. I LOVE small-town romance, I devour them but mostly in M/F genre. So I loved the town that C.S. Poe described here. The part where Silas told Gideon to "look up" took my breath away
+ Gideon's voice as sole narrator. Very entertaining :)
+ Silas is adorable; loved his quirky picky eater habits
+ Low steam *beams happily*
What I less liked:
+ Pretty much insta-everything, probably due to the length :(
+ The ending was abrupt for me; maybe it was the length so the story ended in a HFN. But still, it wasn't as satisfying. I would love to read few more chapters of these two.
April 7, 2017
I loved this book! Is fun , cute and very romantic!!
The plos is simple: An a bit lost hipster crossing his destiny with a gently giant thanks to a moose ♥ but really the story development is so good for a short story and the two of them are LOVELY.
I must say that is a clear romance, so no sex scenes are showed, very Hallmark.
The plos is simple: An a bit lost hipster crossing his destiny with a gently giant thanks to a moose ♥ but really the story development is so good for a short story and the two of them are LOVELY.
I must say that is a clear romance, so no sex scenes are showed, very Hallmark.
January 23, 2020
"THE FIRST and only thing I’ve learned about moose was that there was no right way to hit one." L.A. resident Gideon is stranded in Lancaster, New Hampshire hoping to earn enough money to fix his junker as well as the car belonging to the guy he spun out and hit - Silas, the tall flannel-wearing quiet guy every one in town says is a great guy. Before too long, Gideon is staying in The Princess Suite (think pink, lots and lots of pink) at the B&B, working at Eatery, and running into Silas every time he turns around.
Joy is a sweet short story, with no on-page sex scenes, that takes its time and introduces the reader to the close-knit rural community and some of its quirky residents while soft-spoken Silas and Gideon get to know each other. I liked how Poe used the New Hampshire setting and my only quibble was that the ending came too quickly. But that may have been because I enjoyed the story and really wanted about 100 pages more. 4 stars for this light and happy novella!
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Joy is a sweet short story, with no on-page sex scenes, that takes its time and introduces the reader to the close-knit rural community and some of its quirky residents while soft-spoken Silas and Gideon get to know each other. I liked how Poe used the New Hampshire setting and my only quibble was that the ending came too quickly. But that may have been because I enjoyed the story and really wanted about 100 pages more. 4 stars for this light and happy novella!
I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
October 19, 2017
OMG this is so freaking adorable, what's about Silas we cannot love? NONE. ZERO. NADA.
Because Silas is so damn adorable I want to wrap him and take him home.
A shy giant with a heart of gold and gay! Openly gay. And everybody loves him in a not so friendly neighborhood.
That's a quality that brought Joy to do anything for Silas, even tried breaking the rule of boring lunch and made him ate it! Fish. and Silas didn't like fish!
Because of what?He likes Joy! Awww...I kept aww-ing and ooh-ing when Silas came to my 'vision'.
Okay, I'm sounded like a creepy stalker fan-girl. But whatever, I liked Silas. Like a lot. Hahaha....
Did I say Joy did 'everything' to win Silas? Yeah, that. The LA guy even stay and determined to stay there forever, with Silas. Cute.
Recommended.
* ARC is provided by Dreamspinner press for an honest and fair review. No high rating required.*
Because Silas is so damn adorable I want to wrap him and take him home.
A shy giant with a heart of gold and gay! Openly gay. And everybody loves him in a not so friendly neighborhood.
That's a quality that brought Joy to do anything for Silas, even tried breaking the rule of boring lunch and made him ate it! Fish. and Silas didn't like fish!
Because of what?He likes Joy! Awww...I kept aww-ing and ooh-ing when Silas came to my 'vision'.
Okay, I'm sounded like a creepy stalker fan-girl. But whatever, I liked Silas. Like a lot. Hahaha....
Did I say Joy did 'everything' to win Silas? Yeah, that. The LA guy even stay and determined to stay there forever, with Silas. Cute.
Recommended.
* ARC is provided by Dreamspinner press for an honest and fair review. No high rating required.*
May 21, 2017
Novelita corta y sin complicaciones, personajes monos y justo lo que necesitaba después de la intensidad de Slow Heat, me gusta mucho esta autora, deseando leer algo más largo.
April 6, 2017
Review originally posted at Sinfully.
3.5 stars
This was a short but sweet story with likable characters and a gorgeous setting. Gideon fears that bad luck is the only luck he has and is running from his fast-paced L.A. life, trying to figure out what his next move should be. Sure hitting a moose is not the best way to meet someone, but on the flip-side, it turns out to be the best luck he ever had.
Silas has never left New Hampshire and loves his life in small-town Lancaster. He starts off as a flannel-clad mountain man of few words. Turns out his gruff exterior is covering an easily flustered, extremely adorable man.
I loved the MCs relationship and I wanted more. They had great banter, both with their own quirks, and I smiled whenever they were together.
Silas seems to have it pretty much together, while Gideon’s self-doubt and insecurity are his biggest stumbling blocks. While things do seem to go wrong an awful lot when he’s around, he has a hard time seeing the good that often also comes with that “bad luck”.
Gideon showed quite a bit of growth in the small timespan the story covers. He finds a purpose and a home – not just a place to stay, but a place where he is accepted, is at peace and can simply enjoy life without the pressures of the fast-paced L.A. race to be the best.
The story is short and the two men fall quickly. I did feel like I was missing out on some together time with Silas and Gideon as they get to know each other. There were things that were fast-forwarded through, I gather due to the length of the story, but other than that I really did enjoy their budding relationship. The small New Hampshire town and the people who live there came to life off the pages. From the B&B owners to Silas’ work crew (who keep it fun by wagering on Silas and Gideon), to the beauty of their surroundings, C.S. Poe created a welcoming setting that was a joy to visit, I only wish my stay had been a bit longer.
3.5 stars
This was a short but sweet story with likable characters and a gorgeous setting. Gideon fears that bad luck is the only luck he has and is running from his fast-paced L.A. life, trying to figure out what his next move should be. Sure hitting a moose is not the best way to meet someone, but on the flip-side, it turns out to be the best luck he ever had.
Silas has never left New Hampshire and loves his life in small-town Lancaster. He starts off as a flannel-clad mountain man of few words. Turns out his gruff exterior is covering an easily flustered, extremely adorable man.
I loved the MCs relationship and I wanted more. They had great banter, both with their own quirks, and I smiled whenever they were together.
Silas seems to have it pretty much together, while Gideon’s self-doubt and insecurity are his biggest stumbling blocks. While things do seem to go wrong an awful lot when he’s around, he has a hard time seeing the good that often also comes with that “bad luck”.
Gideon showed quite a bit of growth in the small timespan the story covers. He finds a purpose and a home – not just a place to stay, but a place where he is accepted, is at peace and can simply enjoy life without the pressures of the fast-paced L.A. race to be the best.
The story is short and the two men fall quickly. I did feel like I was missing out on some together time with Silas and Gideon as they get to know each other. There were things that were fast-forwarded through, I gather due to the length of the story, but other than that I really did enjoy their budding relationship. The small New Hampshire town and the people who live there came to life off the pages. From the B&B owners to Silas’ work crew (who keep it fun by wagering on Silas and Gideon), to the beauty of their surroundings, C.S. Poe created a welcoming setting that was a joy to visit, I only wish my stay had been a bit longer.
April 10, 2018
3.5 stars rounded down to 3 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR.
Well that was cute...
'Joy' by C. S. Poe was a fun, cute read in the 'States of Love' series published by Dreamspinner Press and I really enjoyed it. No it wasn't an over the moon, turning into a puddle of goo story but reading it was no hardship either.
Truthfully I knew from the first sentence in this book that I was meant to read it. You see the first sentence in this story is...
I liked Gideon mostly because I could relate to him. I think we've all had days when it seems like even the simplest of things are suddenly monumental hurdles to overcome and somehow, someway couldn't something just any little thing be easy? Yeah, I've had those days so I totally understood how Gideon felt when he thought the only luck he had was bad and then there was Silas...
I liked Silas and his quiet ways and his fussy eating habits, he reminded me of my kid when he was a teenager.
I think if I could have changed anything in this it would have been to have a little more story between the beginning of the story where Gideon and Silas first meet and Gideon did his 180 and decided that Silas was hot. For me this connection happened just a little to fast and I felt like just a tiny bit more story in here would have added to the believability of things.
'Joy' may not have been a 5 star read but it was still cute and fun and I enjoyed Gideon and his moose adventures in New Hampshire.
********************
An ARC of 'Joy' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Well that was cute...
'Joy' by C. S. Poe was a fun, cute read in the 'States of Love' series published by Dreamspinner Press and I really enjoyed it. No it wasn't an over the moon, turning into a puddle of goo story but reading it was no hardship either.
Truthfully I knew from the first sentence in this book that I was meant to read it. You see the first sentence in this story is...
THE FIRST and only thing I’ve learned about moose was that there was no right way to hit one.I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with moose. You see I am probably one of the few Canadians, who doesn't live in a heavily populated area and has never seen a moose...zoos don't count. I'm talking wandering around out in the wild and I've been in areas where moose sightings are a common occurrence...seriously there are signs posted beside the road that say 'Moose Crossing' 'Watch for Moose', so I've decided there are no moose. My family has deemed that I'm in denial...whatever...there are no moose. So when I read the first sentence in this book needless to say my inner child was amused...what can I say sometimes it just doesn't take much.
I liked Gideon mostly because I could relate to him. I think we've all had days when it seems like even the simplest of things are suddenly monumental hurdles to overcome and somehow, someway couldn't something just any little thing be easy? Yeah, I've had those days so I totally understood how Gideon felt when he thought the only luck he had was bad and then there was Silas...
I liked Silas and his quiet ways and his fussy eating habits, he reminded me of my kid when he was a teenager.
I think if I could have changed anything in this it would have been to have a little more story between the beginning of the story where Gideon and Silas first meet and Gideon did his 180 and decided that Silas was hot. For me this connection happened just a little to fast and I felt like just a tiny bit more story in here would have added to the believability of things.
'Joy' may not have been a 5 star read but it was still cute and fun and I enjoyed Gideon and his moose adventures in New Hampshire.
********************
An ARC of 'Joy' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2017
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!! What else is there to say? This was just too adorable!! I LOVED Gideon and Silas. Just read this one, take my word for it. It's totally worth it!
January 4, 2022
Honestly, I really liked this one up till the end. I wasn't sure why there was so much focus on Gideon's bad luck... I would have preferred them just to get a quick and easy happily ever after.
April 21, 2017
Very sweet story with a very important (and meaningful to me) message. I adore the cover! And I must thank Silas (and C.S. Poe) for introducing me to the deliciousness that is a fluffernutter sandwich. How in the world had I never heard of this before?! Heat level is low, if that matters to you, but I thoroughly enjoyed Gideon and Silas <3 <3 <3
June 27, 2017
Una novella muy sencilla para un rato agradable. Sin más.
April 8, 2017
This was cute enough, but it could have done with, well, more. More pages, more story, more getting to know the characters and seeing them get to know each other. I felt like I learned more about the quaint little town it takes place in, than I did about either character. Also, the heat level was pretty much less than zero, with only one little kiss and nothing more. Not that I HAVE to have naughty times in every story, but there has to be something, either plot or smex!
April 11, 2017
3.5 rounded up :)
April 15, 2018
Cute! Tons of insta love feels, but still an adorable read. Sad it was so short, I would have liked to keep on reading about these two.
Tattoos and glasses are hot. Strong, silent type - also hot. I wanted the two of them together to be explosive, but this is more of a quiet romance. They sweetly like each other. Their few non-platonic interaction were more for the benefit of the people around them. Any other times happen off page and aren't even alluded to let alone described.
But, Gideon wants to be the best and as he learns to settle for his best maybe he will realize that true love means your best is more than good enough.
I do wish we had learned more about Silas. Again with the too short. lol
Tattoos and glasses are hot. Strong, silent type - also hot. I wanted the two of them together to be explosive, but this is more of a quiet romance. They sweetly like each other. Their few non-platonic interaction were more for the benefit of the people around them. Any other times happen off page and aren't even alluded to let alone described.
But, Gideon wants to be the best and as he learns to settle for his best maybe he will realize that true love means your best is more than good enough.
I do wish we had learned more about Silas. Again with the too short. lol
April 23, 2017
Really cute short story about Gideon, a person who's lost his way and finds something in New Hampshire thanks to a moose as well as the man whose car he hits.
April 6, 2017
Whoa insta-EVERYTHING. I can't hate on this book...but something was missing. Felt rushed & I don't know... anti-climatic. I felt like... it's a town of 900 people & FINALLY a gay stranger comes to town & the town bands together cause they have a really nice gay resident so it'd only make sense for the two to get together. Yup that's this book...with food & other people.
Edited: Ha maybe I can hate on the book a little...
Edited: Ha maybe I can hate on the book a little...
April 4, 2017
Okay I find myself liking and loathing this series at times. I couldn't pass this up because I enjoy the author's writing and the cover model was Wowza big time. Two things stopped this from being a 5 star read. The length, and the ending. I feel like this had the biggest potential ever to be a full length novel or at least a regular novella length. I mean 70 pages didn't do anything for this story. It had a really good beginning, middle, but the end just tapered off into a dive and never recovered. It got sloppy to me, and conflict for the sake of conflict is not something I want at all. It was sugary sweet goodness for 90% of the story and the last 10% completely changed the tone of it for me. The length was a major letdown. First there's No On Page Physical anything but a kiss. Yeah, I was a little disappointed but didn't think it was going to end like that. Ummm no thank you. We really got to see Gideon & Silas start somewhere fresh in their lives, and not really see them start a future.
Gideon Joy thinks he's having a mid-life crisis at the age of 25. Super funny about that, and he upends his life in Los Angeles to go on a statewide road trip. He finds himself in a small town in New Hampshire in a conflict with Moose. Yes, Moose. Not a person but the actual animals. I laughed at the initial showdown with the animal that caused the car accident and the events later on in the story. He meets Silas who seems standoffish and mean but we come to find out he's just shy. I liked Silas a lot. With not much money or a job Gideon decides to stay in the Podunk town to work out the repairs for Silas's car and money for himself. I thought it was cute and a lot of fluff from here on out. Gideon makes a mark on some people. The townspeople are super nice to him, and its the first time that he can really breath. He has no worries, and feels at peace here. He meets a really nice couple who lets him stay there and gets a job from a nice guy name George. Things seem to be looking up for Gideon. He starts flourishes here and Silas isn't the mean SOB he originally thought he was. Who knows, they find that they have a lot in common and attraction is one of them. Its definitely a fast pace on the relationship which I enjoyed. I really wanted more of the story. We didn't get any closure or see a future happening. A bummer if you ask me. Such sweet characters and writing, but it felt unfinished and I'm not really happy about that since I liked them so much.
Gideon Joy thinks he's having a mid-life crisis at the age of 25. Super funny about that, and he upends his life in Los Angeles to go on a statewide road trip. He finds himself in a small town in New Hampshire in a conflict with Moose. Yes, Moose. Not a person but the actual animals. I laughed at the initial showdown with the animal that caused the car accident and the events later on in the story. He meets Silas who seems standoffish and mean but we come to find out he's just shy. I liked Silas a lot. With not much money or a job Gideon decides to stay in the Podunk town to work out the repairs for Silas's car and money for himself. I thought it was cute and a lot of fluff from here on out. Gideon makes a mark on some people. The townspeople are super nice to him, and its the first time that he can really breath. He has no worries, and feels at peace here. He meets a really nice couple who lets him stay there and gets a job from a nice guy name George. Things seem to be looking up for Gideon. He starts flourishes here and Silas isn't the mean SOB he originally thought he was. Who knows, they find that they have a lot in common and attraction is one of them. Its definitely a fast pace on the relationship which I enjoyed. I really wanted more of the story. We didn't get any closure or see a future happening. A bummer if you ask me. Such sweet characters and writing, but it felt unfinished and I'm not really happy about that since I liked them so much.
May 8, 2017
Joy is a happy little story. I mean, wouldn’t you expect it to be with that title?
Gideon Joy is a guy who expects things to turn out badly, or at least, not in his favor. As he’s traveling through New Hampshire on a coast to coast tour he hits a moose, then a car. Down to his last few dollars he can’t afford to fix his own car, let alone the car he hit. Now, here’s where we get a different perspective than Gideon’s. He thinks this is terrible luck. However, Silas, the other driver, and even the moose walk away from the accident uninjured. That’s pretty doggone good luck, if you ask me.
Silas, the other driver is not mad, but he is a taciturn kind of guy, which Gideon interprets as an expression of anger. He gets his car back to town and has Gideon’s car towed. He even gives Gideon a reference for a job at The Eatery. What Gideon doesn’t know is the owner of The Eatery, George, is Silas’ brother until George makes sure Gideon crosses Silas’ path several times.
As the men try dating one thing after another happens, each of which makes Gideon think his bad luck is following him, although they are just forks in the road. The ending is absolutely delightful. I loved this little story.
Gideon Joy is a guy who expects things to turn out badly, or at least, not in his favor. As he’s traveling through New Hampshire on a coast to coast tour he hits a moose, then a car. Down to his last few dollars he can’t afford to fix his own car, let alone the car he hit. Now, here’s where we get a different perspective than Gideon’s. He thinks this is terrible luck. However, Silas, the other driver, and even the moose walk away from the accident uninjured. That’s pretty doggone good luck, if you ask me.
Silas, the other driver is not mad, but he is a taciturn kind of guy, which Gideon interprets as an expression of anger. He gets his car back to town and has Gideon’s car towed. He even gives Gideon a reference for a job at The Eatery. What Gideon doesn’t know is the owner of The Eatery, George, is Silas’ brother until George makes sure Gideon crosses Silas’ path several times.
As the men try dating one thing after another happens, each of which makes Gideon think his bad luck is following him, although they are just forks in the road. The ending is absolutely delightful. I loved this little story.
May 2, 2017
3.75 stars
Man I was really enjoying this story when it kind of abruptly ended. That is not to say there wasn't an ending, there was. I just felt like maybe I'd somehow skipped a few chapters.
The characters and setting are great. The premise was really good. I felt the connection between the two MCs so the romance was building when it ended.
For those that need to know, this is rated PG as no sex occurred on page. I didn't necessarily miss it but I wouldn't have minded a little more heat.
If this were to be expanded at some point in the future I can easily see it being a 4.5 - 5 star read. It had all the makings it just ended too soon. I'd still recommend it for a quick, pick me up read.
Man I was really enjoying this story when it kind of abruptly ended. That is not to say there wasn't an ending, there was. I just felt like maybe I'd somehow skipped a few chapters.
The characters and setting are great. The premise was really good. I felt the connection between the two MCs so the romance was building when it ended.
For those that need to know, this is rated PG as no sex occurred on page. I didn't necessarily miss it but I wouldn't have minded a little more heat.
If this were to be expanded at some point in the future I can easily see it being a 4.5 - 5 star read. It had all the makings it just ended too soon. I'd still recommend it for a quick, pick me up read.
May 20, 2017
This was a short quick read that was ok. Gideon is down on his luck so he goes on a road trip. Gideon strikes a moose with his car in New Hampshire, not only totaling his own vehicle, but damaging one belonging to local construction worker Silas Bright. He has no choice but to stay in Lancaster and get a job to pay for the repairs. Silas helps him get a job at The Eatery but he doesn't know that the owner is his brother. These two try dating and it doesn't go right and Gideon is wondering if its worth it. This was a short quick read that was ok too me it didn't seem like they had any spark to me. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling.
October 1, 2020
The changeover from his hectic life in LA, California, to a (more or less) quiet existence in a small town in New Hampshire is not an easy one to make for Gideon. He wasn’t even consciously looking for a permanent change, being on an “unplanned excursion” across the country. It’s a rather daring experiment for a man who describes himself as follows: “Nothing ever worked out. Nowhere was ever home. No one wanted to love a guy with luck so bad, it was laughable.” But as it turns out, life isn’t entirely horrible in a place with “more animal crossings than traffic lights”.
Please find my full review edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
April 10, 2017
This was adorably cute and more than a little on the sappy side. The angst may have been a bit manufactured, but I found myself still really enjoying this little read.
Gideon and Silas were just too cute. Gideon is practically mortified by the car accident that forces their meeting, and Silas' strong and silent nature just doesn't read well to Gideon. I liked how Gideon couldn't seem to get a handle on Silas at first. Silas' eating habits made me smile and I loved how Gideon prodded him out of his comfort zone.
This is one of those stories that you just smile throughout. You know there's not going to be some big huge trouble keeping the two men apart. Just a few nerves and a couple bad dates that really weren't all that bad. Nothing in life is truly perfect, but there can be perfect together. :)
Gideon and Silas were just too cute. Gideon is practically mortified by the car accident that forces their meeting, and Silas' strong and silent nature just doesn't read well to Gideon. I liked how Gideon couldn't seem to get a handle on Silas at first. Silas' eating habits made me smile and I loved how Gideon prodded him out of his comfort zone.
This is one of those stories that you just smile throughout. You know there's not going to be some big huge trouble keeping the two men apart. Just a few nerves and a couple bad dates that really weren't all that bad. Nothing in life is truly perfect, but there can be perfect together. :)
April 13, 2017
3.5 stars! Yet another lovely story from C.S. Poe. I have really enjoyed her novellas and this is another to add to the list. Silas is a bit of an enigma at first. Since the story is told from Gideon's POV, we don't get quite as much of Silas's motivation but since he's the quiet one anyway . . .
I got a kick out of Gideon's inner monologues. I remember being 25 and realizing my life was truly not going to be ANYTHING like I'd planned. You know that old saying, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." I think that's true for most and certainly Gideon has had his share of moments. But he's beginning to realize that just because that "dream" didn't come true that he could have other dreams maybe that would make him happier and be better for him. Sometimes getting knocked down a time or two is what really forces us to become people we're meant to be.
I loved the small town people - the B&B owners, George, Princess Batman (that was absolutely precious) and the rest of the secondary characters. Their support of Gideon and Silas was at times entertaining and at times I'm sure annoying to Gideon. Definitely recommend for a short and special read.
I got a kick out of Gideon's inner monologues. I remember being 25 and realizing my life was truly not going to be ANYTHING like I'd planned. You know that old saying, "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." I think that's true for most and certainly Gideon has had his share of moments. But he's beginning to realize that just because that "dream" didn't come true that he could have other dreams maybe that would make him happier and be better for him. Sometimes getting knocked down a time or two is what really forces us to become people we're meant to be.
I loved the small town people - the B&B owners, George, Princess Batman (that was absolutely precious) and the rest of the secondary characters. Their support of Gideon and Silas was at times entertaining and at times I'm sure annoying to Gideon. Definitely recommend for a short and special read.
April 11, 2017
This is a very sweet book.
April 17, 2017
A quick, low angst read. Nothing stands out to make this special but I still enjoyed it. Some reckon it was too short but what else was there to say.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
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