Breakfast at Tiffany’s Waffles and Wings
This is a very sweet, very touching story about two men who have nothing in terms of material goods, but find they have everything when they open up to each other emotionally. Post-Katrina New Orleans is a fascinating, sometimes sad, and essential backdrop to their unfolding romance. Add to this a cast of great secondary characters and some very real threats to their physical security, and I ended up sinking into their world and not emerging until I had read the final sentence.

Scott came to New Orleans because he couldn't stand life in a small Louisiana town any longer. He managed to survive Katrina, and while he still lives in a homeless shelter, he has a job as a waiter and is slowly building a life for himself. When he gets mugged, then rescued by Tony, only to have him steal his money anyway, he is disappointed, but knowing he will earn tip money to help him survive has him a lot less tense than expected. I could still sense how close he was to the days when having five dollars stolen would have been a total catastrophe, and I was happy for Scott that he was beyond that stage. Not that his life is easy, but it's not impossible any longer.

Tony is a different case. He is still struggling, without a job, and only an abandoned house (no electricity, just cold water) to squat in for shelter. He has almost no money, no job, and while he likes Scott on sight, he is too desperate for something to eat not to take the guy's money. Until his conscience rears its ugly head and he has second thoughts. I loved how he figures out how to earn some money himself by helping to unload trucks at the farmer's market, and how he then returns the stolen amount to Scott. Very touching and a great beginning to a quickly unfolding romance.

If you like stories about men who remake themselves despite major hardship, if you enjoy reading about love blossoming in the struggling remains of a great city, and if you're looking for a touching romance that might make you smile, then you will probably like this short novella.


Charlie’s Mission
‘Charlie’s Mission’ tells the story of one of the secondary characters in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s Waffles and Wings’ – and Charlie having been somewhat abrasive and mysterious in that book, I was very curious to find out more about him. As it turns out he has had an even rougher past than Scott and Tony, but his struggles to fix his life are beginning to pay off. One thing he never expected is a personal relationship, so when he runs into Devon, who is extremely secretive, it’s not exactly romance at first sight. All the obstacles both men face, however, made the story all the more interesting and very touching.

Charlie used to be a drug addict, and his substance abuse caused grave consequences, prison time, and explains Charlie’s determination to pay for his sins. Working at a homeless shelter is his way of trying to atone for what he has done, and I think it’s perfectly understandable that he is hesitant about letting anyone close. There is a lot of fear about what they will think, but Charlie is also convinced he does not deserve any happiness. This made me sad, but I could see where he is coming from.

Devon is a different case. He is busy keeping drug dealers out of his neighborhood and he is doing a good job, but while he appears to be one thing, there is also a definite air of mystery around him as to the why and how. I can’t say too much about him because, while I suspected early on what was happening, his intentions are a big part of the initial issues between him and Charlie and the reveal of what’s going on plays a role in the development of their relationship.

If you like stories about men who struggle to make themselves, and the world, a better place, if you think everyone who regrets what they have done and works hard deserves a second chance, and if you’re looking for a touching story abut redemption and finding love in unexpected places, then you will probably like this story as much as I do. I love how it shows that, sometimes, hardship brings out the best in people.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )