Since it was short, the conflict was resolved without angst and it was fitting to the characters age, they just talked like adults and resolved it. The lesson that even late you can find your love, precious! It was lovely to see, specially the little things like their glasses and stuff. Love between two guys in their 40! Not a guy with 40 years and a waaay younger one who isn't written as one. This short story has good things and bad things, all of those from my personal opinion of course: This is a perfect, and perfectly delightful, afternoon read. One of the things I am realizing about romance short stories and novellas like this is that their brevity can lead to a reduction in narrative tension overall and that the more relaxed kind of plot form this produces has its own rewards. And honestly that's a major charm of the story. The men are clearly into each other, Nash's family clearly likes Tobias, the high school reunion is barely a plot-point.

In the end, the suspense of the 'fake-date' posing is itself a bit of a sham.

The clichéed snowman-building scene is corny, but the conversations Nash and Tobias share are endearing, and when the men finally get into each others' pants, the flip-flop sex is satisfactorily raunchy (Edwards also writes great erotic shorts, so no surprise there). The zingiest scenes for me were probably the expected comeuppance/reveal at Tobias's reunion where Nash puts the mean girls of yesteryear in their places by basically just being really hot and the complementary scene at the niece's wedding where Nash's astute sister nearly exposes the boys' subterfuge-not that that would have mattered. (In a cute wink to the reader, Tobias nicknames Nash 'Gruff Daddy,' identifying his type as his Pornhub fantasy-come-to-life.) And of course, the fake dating swiftly develops into something real. (Their nosey, caring family and friends are not so easily put off, of course, but the guys don't count on that.) Their masquerade is fraught with sexual tension that is prolonged enough to make them (and us!) itchy. Over an impromptu dinner date, the larger 'fake date' plan in born: they will pose as boyfriends at both events to avoid the tiresome, intrusive questions and judgments of family and friends. Both men are in their late-40s and both have reasons for wanting to appear attached at their respective events.

The set up for the 'fake date flip-flop' in question is a lobby meet-cute between silver daddy Nash (recently single and attending his niece's hotel wedding) and Tobias (a former gymnast, also single, who is attending his high school reunion at the same hotel). It is by-the-numbers m/m romance short, but breezily so-and it did the trick because I liked it enough that I will definitely check out the larger series.

This was a fun, light, m/m romance/advert for Hank Edwards's Williamsville Inn series, a freebie from the Prolific Works Winter Wonderland Story Giveaway from January 2021.

Fake Date Flip-Flop by Hank Edwards