Blurb:
Ian and Cal have known each other since they were kids. When Cal offers to let Ian move in with him, Ian doesn’t even let the fact that Cal is gay factor in. It’s supposed to be a joke when Ian brings home a fish bowl with no fish, but when Cal buys fish and comes into Ian’s room to check on them, Ian starts seeing more of Cal than he’d counted on, and liking what he sees. There’s really only one logical way for Ian to sort out his feelings for Cal. Buy more fish.

Soon, he’s a regular hobbyist with an excuse to get Cal in his bedroom several times a day. He has no idea what to do once they’re there. Throw in Marcy- the adorable pet store geek who keeps him plied with bait- a bad chili dog, a game of strip Go Fish, and a raging case of food poisoning, and Ian’s about to lose his gay virginity the way only he could… ass backward.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

[Why are there heart shaped cuffs? Now I guess they’re cute but there is no bdsm or cuffs used in this story. The goldfish is enough since it revolves around fish. Other than that, a surprisingly decent cover from TQ!]

Review:

This is a very cute and funny story about two best friends that fall in love. The humorous touches make the light narrative one that is just flat out adorable and fun to read. The narrative style is pretty informal with a lot of internal musing and physical antics which works well in the short length but I would have been annoyed with if the story had gone on longer. If you’re looking for a cute, fun story with a lot of laugh out loud moments, this bit of comic genius is a must read.

The story is basically about two best friends that live together and finally get together. Cal is openly gay while Ian is so far straight but he starts to notice Cal’s body more and more and decides that he wants something more than friendship from his tall, lanky friend. Ian decides that the way to Cal’s heart, well his body anyway, is to buy a lot of fish that Cal has to check up on in Ian’s room. There is of course more to the story as Ian’s thought process of awkward, manly seduction wrapped around fish care affords a lot of great, entertaining dialogue and antics.

Ian reminded me of Jim Carey in some ways as his physical antics are humorous and over the top. These aren’t bad and in the space of a pretty quick novella, they work very well injecting humor, sex, and fumbling between two cute men. If the story had been longer, the non-stop yuk yuk theme would have run stale and overused but it’s quick enough that the entertainment factor remains high. Life isn’t as easy as Ian just deciding he wants Cal as the seduction is offset by food poisoning, inappropriate vibrating cell phones, fish care, and any number of issues that crop up so the two never quite get the chance to seal to the deal.

The writing tries hard to be funny and succeeds most of the time, helped by the sole secondary character of Mercy the geeky pet shop employee. The underlying fun and glee of the story translates and it makes you want to laugh and enjoy the ridiculous and clumsy antics of Ian, who attempts to be a mans-man but never agonizes over his attraction to Cal. I liked that there was no real angst about suddenly being gay for Cal but instead it focused on the stop/start seduction between the two. This could have ended slightly sooner but I have no real complaints.

Overall this is a funny, cute, and thoroughly entertaining story that is perfect for the length. There are some hinges that could become annoying to readers but the very quick pace should keep these to a minimum. If you’re looking for a light comedic romance, try this.