Book Fair

Title: Book Fair

Author: Michael Murphy

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publisher URL: www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-62380-317-9

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Jacob works for a small gay publishing company and he’s in New York for a book convention. Unlike others he’s attended, this one isn’t going smoothly. An important box hasn’t been delivered and when Jacob finds it, hunky Toni, working behind the scenes, acts like a jerk and won’t let him take it. But when Toni gives him a late night ride back to his hotel things start to look up--or are they. As the week progresses, his professional life looks bleak and his growing attachment to Toni is the only bright spot. When the bottom falls out of his job, Jacob returns to San Diego to try and put his life back together. Can these two men from opposite coasts find their way back to each other?

I never know what to expect from a new author but Michael Murphy didn’t disappoint me. While there are some serious moments in Book Fair, overall it’s a fun and entertaining love story that made me laugh. I enjoyed getting to know Jacob and Toni. These two guys got off to a rocky start but once the initial rough patch is over, I couldn’t help but smile at these two. And Toni’s mother cracked me up too. The scene where she first met Jacob is embarrassingly funny. I mean the woman has no brain-to-mouth filter. As you can probably tell from my comments, the author did a great job on developing the personalities of his characters—he really brought them to life.

The story is well plotted, has vivid imagery, a smooth flow and good integration of the secondary characters—most of whom are part of Toni’s huge Italian family. There’s plenty of flirting, bantering dialogue and a sense of a traditional romance I couldn’t resist. Mr. Murphy even incorporated in the topic of domestic abuse—handling the emotional upheaval with sensitivity.

So as you can see, I enjoyed Book Fair and will certainly read it again in the future. One thing I wish had been different was how little Toni and Jacob knew about each other until near the end. Despite falling in love quickly, it seems getting better acquainted should have happened before they made a commitment to each other. Enjoy.