Title: Second Bite of the Cherry
Series: Celebrate! 2014 Advent Calendar
Author: Louise Lyons
Genre: Contemporary/Holiday
Length: Short (28 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 1, 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Blurb: When Daniel Berrisford reluctantly agrees to accompany his best friend Kate to the New Year’s Eve celebrations in London, he doesn’t expect to enjoy himself. Daniel is pleasantly surprised to see his first boyfriend, James Allison, among the merrymakers. The pair hasn’t seen each other for four years, but as they talk and midnight approaches, it becomes clear the spark between them is still there.
The New Year is a time for new beginnings, and for Daniel and James, it might be the time to give love another chance.
ISBN: 978-1-63216-765-1
Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5868
Reviewer: York
Review: I don’t think I have ever read a story with so few pages pack so much punch. It’s no secret that if faced with the choice of a 40-page novella or a 400-page novel with no time constraints, I will choose the novel every time. However, the novellas are growing on me and this is a perfect example of why. Second Bite takes you from heartbreak to the promise of lifelong love from 0 to 60 in 28 pages flat.
I can certainly understand Daniel’s reluctance to open his heart again and I appreciate his best friend, Kate’s determination to enjoy the ringing in of the New Year despite her very recent break-up. When she uses her “bestie wiles” to get him out of the house, you can’t help but shout out “You go, girl!”
The plotline may be a bit of a holiday cliché but, Miss Lyons writes it so well with a perfect blend of humor, lust, and the promise of a better year ahead that you don’t even realize the oft-used scenario.