Brief Encounters

Title: An Oral Fixation
Author: Piper Vaughn
Length: 9,412 words
Publisher: Goodreads m/m Group (Love is Always Write)
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: B

Blurb:

Quinn Reed knows exactly how long he’s been in love with Cooper Bradshaw. In fact he could tell you right down to the very minute. He and Cooper have never been anything but friends, though, and as seems to be his luck, whenever he’s considered trying to make a move, either he or Cooper have been otherwise involved. Now that’s all about to change. Spring break is here, and for the first time in years they’re both single. Quinn thinks his time has finally come, his chance to put his plan to seduce Cooper to the test, but things don’t go quite the way he plans.

Review: 

This is one of the free stories that has been done at Goodreads for the Love is Always Write event. Because it’s been made downloadable at the book page, you do not have to be a member of the group to read it. This is the picture inspiring the story.

This is a cute friends to lovers story with college students. Quinn and Cooper have been good friends and roommates for a few years, and as the blurb says, Quinn knows exactly how long he’s been in love with Cooper, but it always seems when one of them is single, the other had a boyfriend, so Quinn has hidden his feelings behind friendship. They have now graduated and with their other two roommates have set off to California for one last road trip before they move on, although Quinn and Cooper will remain together as they move off to work for the same company in Texas.

They stop at the Santa Monica Pier for a day at the carnival and it is during a session in a photobooth that the picture takes place and it triggers something between the two men who are unusually both single at the same time. I enjoyed Quinn’s uneasiness as suddenly the guy, who was only his friend, is touching him and kissing him seemingly out of the blue. He’s torn between just going “hell yeah” and wondering what Cooper is up to. He’s not sure he’s just playing or it could be more.

Once they finally both confess their feelings, which it seems as in most of these stories, the two men in question are the last to know, there’s a sweet and sexy scene back at their hotel. One thing however that really aroused my curiousity and was never really explained is that one of the roommates really seemed to be antagonistic toward Cooper. He’s constantly making jibes about all the guys (and girls) Cooper dated and insinuates he’s a slut, but as Quinn points out, their other roommate was just as bad, and the guy complaining is gay so it’s not a homophobic thing, so I was dying to know why he had it in for Cooper. My other question was, why did he go on the trip if he couldn’t stand the guy? So that little tidbit about their group dynamic threw me off and had me wondering what was up with that. Was he also crushing on Cooper? Just found him annoying? Felt badly for Quinn because he knew HE was crushing?

Still, despite wondering what’s up with Cooper and Patrick, it was a fun little story about friends to lovers, and it fit the picture really well with that was built into the story. This only the second story I’ve read by the author but I quite like her voice and style. It flows nicely for me. You certainly can’t go wrong with the price.