One Small Thing

Title: One Small Thing

Authors: Piper Vaughn and M.J. O’Shea

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publisher URL: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61372-496-5

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx 

Being a father wasn’t something Rue expected but he’d never planned on sleeping with a woman either. From the moment of Alice’s birth, Rue’s heart is stolen. Now a single father, he has to figure out how to juggle caring for a newborn while bartending to pay the bills and going to cosmetology school. Rue needs to find a babysitter and in desperation, turns to the next door neighbor he barely knows. 

Sci-fi novelist Erik Van Nuys isn’t good with people, has anxiety issues and rarely leaves his apartment. The idea of caring for Alice nearly gives him a panic attack, but his books aren’t selling well and he needs the cash. It’s not easy but he agrees to take over Alice’s care and slowly finds himself enthralled by both Alice and her father. Things are going good between them until Rue’s dream job offer comes through. Do they stay together or does Rue leave Erik behind when he moves to California, taking the family they’ve made together with him? 

One Small Thing is the newest release by writing duo Piper Vaughn and M.J. O’Shea. I have to admit the cover caught my attention first—it’ a real eye catcher, and once I read the blurb; I had to give it a try. It’s a heartwarming, entertaining, contemporary romance of two lower middle class guys struggling to survive through hard financial times. The fact these guys are working class and have little money isn’t dealt with often, which makes me appreciate how well their problems are handled even more.  

Erik and Rue are sweet guys—and the authors have done a nice job developing their personalities. Then they skillfully weave in snippets of back-story so we can understand what makes them tick. Despite their vast differences, Rue and Erik complement each other nicely, even if it takes a while for them to realize how much they mean to each other. That’s what makes the story realistic—their feelings blossom over time with baby Alice the center of their growing family.  

There aren’t a lot of secondary characters in this book with the exception of Dusty. He’s Rue’s best friend. He’s scattered throughout the story and is an important supporting player. This guy deserves his own book and he’s going to get it. I found an excerpt from a WIP, One True Thing , if you want to take a look.