Brief Encounters

Title: Going Steady
Author: Vic Winter
Length: 3,700 words
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: C+

Blurb:
Magician Bug has a bit of a problem. Whenever he’s nervous or distracted he has a tendency of having magical accidents, some minor, some dangerous. So far it’s driven potential boyfriends away. Danny’s different, though; he doesn’t make Bug so nervous for a start, and he hasn’t been upset about any of the minor accidents Bug’s had when they’re together. All Bug needs now, is for Danny to meet his pet gargoyle Sedgewick.

Will Danny and Sedgewick get along? And if they do, will Bug be able to keep his magic under control long enough to convince Danny to take a chance on him?

Review:
This story would be under the category of ‘cute read but without much substance’. It tells of Bug who is a magician. He’s so accident prone with his magic, especially when under stress, that he frequently causes chaos and finds it difficult to keep a relationship going for long. Bug’s new boyfriend, Danny, is coming over to his house for the first time and Bug is nervous that not only may he cause magical mayhem, but also that his pet gargoyle, Sedgewick, won’t like Danny.

At such a short word length, there’s not much to the story. It was, however, amusing and rather sweet. Bug is a cute guy who worries about the instability of his magic. Danny is a sure and steady presence, who manages to calm Bug and isn’t easily frightened when things don’t quite go as planned. The descriptions of past magical errors made me smile and Bug is such a sweetheart that I enjoyed following his attempts to please Danny whilst worrying about losing control. The gargoyle was another fun thing, and unusual as they don’t crop up in m/m books all that much.

If you’re looking for something quick, light and fun then this story will be for you. You don’t get many words for your money though, and the story is just a small part of Bug and Danny’s relationship. I would have perhaps liked something a little more substantial, and so it gets a C+ from me.