Jenna Lynn Brown

This is a short, cute story that will make you think about the magic that is potentially in everyone's life. All we have to do to be happy is find it and, like Barnaby, hold on to it.

Barnaby sees himself as totally ordinary and not very deserving. I think it may be the scientist in him that rejects all notions of being special. Problem is, his heart still wants to have certain things, and they include someone to love. The coincidence of getting a 'magical' journal for his birthday and show more things starting to go his way is a little much.

Poor Barnaby, ever the scientist, has a bit of a panic attack about magic being real, or rather, of losing the things the 'magical journal got him' when the magic runs out. I thought this was a really clever way of illustrating that we make our own magic. Of course, this being a story, we are still left with a little bit of a doubt as to how real the 'magic' might have been after all.

Or maybe that was me, wanting it to be real? Either way, this is a great little story that will make you smile and let you interpret the ending the way you'd like. If you like a bit of ambiguity with room to use your own imagination, and if you enjoy stories about scientists struggling with their emotions, you will probably like this short story as much as I did.



NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review. show less

A beautifully written story about a childhood friendship that eventually blossoms into more. But getting there isn't easy.

The writing, for me, was almost lyrical...soulful. Lovely!

My favourite passage is this- West, describing a safe place from the bullies chasing him:

"His favorite place wasn't far out of his way. It was a little red brick church, St. Francis of something. West liked it because the statue in front was of a man with a fawn in his arms, a wolf at his feet and a gentle look on show more his face. The statue was in a garden with a lot of trees, especially a big oak that had low, thick branches that were perfect for climbing if you were light and spry. He experimented with climbing up it, and figured a guy who was friendly with deer and wolves would understand the need for one boy to hide nearby sometimes."

It made me catch my breath while reading it! show less

I loved this story about a relationship in trouble with both main characters fighting to get back what they once had.

The fact that Quaid won't ride a roller coaster (with the rest of the wedding party) sparks a discussion about trying new things. Zack is all for trying new things, except when Quaid wants to do a spa treatment for couples, Zack doesnt want to join him. The misunderstandings and lost opportunities for communication mount up.

I loved the way that Jenna Jones described the show more bleakness of the relationship - and then smoothly moves towards showing how they dig themselves out again. Amazing! show less

Birthday Cake Apples and Gin by Jenna Jones should appeal to readers who want a sensuous, life-affirming, romantic read that steers clear of angst and conflict, but not at the expense of realism. This is a stand-alone short story that re-visits two men in a long-term, committed romance that has had its ups and downs in the author’s previous fiction. Here, life is as good as it can possibly get. Our heroes are good-looking men in the prime of their lives who have both succeeded in their show more highly competitive, creative fields.

They have a dream-house in the fabulous Venice Beach district of Los Angeles, California. When they go out shopping, they can openly express affection without worrying about getting harassed by homophobic strangers. All this might be so perfect as to be boring, except for two factors. One, the story takes place over only one day and works as a glimpse of a loving relationship. Two, the two heroes are intrinsically decent guys who are appealing to read about.

The story unfolds in the third-person viewpoint of Noah, a 42 year-old photographer. It happens to be the 30th birthday of Sawyer, his lover, who is a country music star. The only present Sawyer wants is for Noah to come with him to the recording studio and sing with him on a new record he plans to produce. Noah struggles with the understandable insecurity of being an amateur singer asked to record with professionals. He tries to distract Sawyer with hot sex. However, he made a promise, and Sawyer is holding him to it. That’s about it, but it’s a beautifully written glimpse into the shared life of two appealing men.

Val for AReCafe show less